


Survival of the Species

by terma_archivist



Category: Kindred: The Embraced, The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-01-01
Updated: 2002-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:09:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26536327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terma_archivist/pseuds/terma_archivist
Summary: What happens when you break Kindred law?
Relationships: Alex Krycek/Fox Mulder
Kudos: 1
Collections: TER/MA





	1. Survival of the Species

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alicettlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [TER/MA](https://fanlore.org/wiki/TER/MA) and was moved to the AO3 as part of the Open Doors project in 2019. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are the creator and would like to claim this work, please contact me using the e-mail address on [the TER/MA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/terma/profile).  
> Some of the character in this story are characters played in a live action role-play game. They have been used with their creator's permission. If you have any interest in knowing more about the game go to http://www.tiac.net/users/crucifix/index1.htm To all Dark City denizens—I hope I did you justice. Nic and Aries, once again thanks for the beta and all the encouragment. You guys are the best!

  
**Survival of the Species  
by Niffusa**

  
**Oakland, NJ  
12:36 a.m.**

As he drove up the winding path, the young man considered again the course of action he was about to embark on. Once begun, it would be impossible to stop the wheels from turning. He had thought long and hard about the step he was taking, but there was nothing else to do. 

He could see the house now, looming on the hill in the darkness. The woods that framed the property provided excellent cover from the road below, and the trees that surrounded the house would provide some degree of protection from the sky. He knew the house was a veritable fortress, he was under no illusions about that. He was expected, and despite the fact that all his senses were on full alert, he was safe. 

Slowly he inched his car toward the imposing gate. After glancing in the rearview mirror to ensure no one was behind him, he extended his hand out the window and pushed the button on the call box. A moment later he heard a soft voice speak, "The master bids you welcome." The iron gates before him opened just wide enough to allow him passage. He pulled up to the main house and wearily extracted himself from the vehicle. It had been a long trip, while he could have made it here faster by air, he had decided that the ground would provided him the opportunity to do some necessary planning in peace. 

He approached the front door with trepidation. _Well, no going back now._ His hand reached for the knocker, but before he could take hold, the large oak door began to glide open. Peering into the darkness, he could make out a small figure just inside the threshold. The figure moved forward so that the light of the moon upon his face revealed the leathery skin that comes with age and the far away stare that is left behind when you've sold your soul. He made a welcoming gesture to the guest at the door. "He is waiting for you. Please follow me." 

The young man followed his guide, his eyes scanning his surrounding carefully. _Old habits die-hard._ The house was dimly lit, but he did not require much light to be able to navigate even the most serpentine of paths. 

He was led into a large glass enclosed atrium. Immediately his eyes closed on the man before him. Older than he, the man was a sight to be marveled at. It was not that the man was physically imposing; in reality he was of medium height and only slightly more than medium build. But the presence of him could not be ignored. His chiseled features were formed into a mask of ice that he wore well, as if it had been a lifelong companion. He was seated in a high back leather armchair more suited to a corporate boardroom than a suburban mansion. 

"Welcome, Alexei. It's been a long time. What brings you to my door?" His voice was like raw silk; flowing and rough with just a hint of warmth that never failed to disarm. 

"Hello, Sire. I'm sorry for..." the hand raised before him stopped him in mid-sentence. 

"There is no need to apologize. Your absence has been necessary." The look of surprise on the younger man's face brought a small laugh to his sire's lips. "Did you really think that I wouldn't keep track of my favorite progeny?" 

"I was unaware of your interest in my dealings." He was at a loss. He had gone to great lengths to ensure that his life remained concealed. 

"Alexei, for one that has spent countless lifetimes remaining hidden from view, it is an easy task to observe someone else doing the same. I know of your dealings and what they concern. More to the point who they concern. But you haven't answered my question. What brings you?" 

Pushing the shock away, the younger man recomposed himself. He should have known better than to think his sire would be ignorant of the world he had saturated himself in. "There is a threat. One that I cannot contain. I need your help, Krane." 

"Why should this concern me or my city?" 

Alex Krycek spoke with an air of finality that gave his words the gravity they needed. "It concerns us all." 

* * *

**two houses away...**

She sat on the balcony overlooking her lands. Off in the distance she could hear the younger of her kind hunting the property. They were safe here; she had made sure of that. 

She had created a haven for those who wished to hide themselves from the eye of the sun. The land's perimeter was fenced and fortified with surveillance cameras and heat sensors. Hounds under her command patrolled the body of the property. The grounds themselves were heavily wooded providing plenty of shadow to hide behind. There were caves to shield her guests from the daylight, and the woods were kept well supplied with small animals to feed them at night. She had taken care of her Prince's clansmen well. 

The sound of the doorbell brought her back from her revelry. She walked back into the house through the glass French doors. The room was comfortable in the classic style of old money. The warm glow off the mahogany-paneled walls was a reflection of the only light in the room—the glow within the fireplace. The scent of the leather sofas and the aroma of the burning wood filled the air. But for all the things in this room that could bring her comfort, the only thing that did was him. 

She entered the room silently, not wanting to disturb his thoughts. Her look took him in completely. She could see the tension that enveloped him from head to toe. Standing maybe five feet from the hearth, his far away stare fixed on the dancing flames within. Indeed, that same flame seemed to dance within his eyes. She watched him draw closer to the warmth and brace one hand against the mantle that leveled at his chest. _The closest thing to the smile of Dagda he will ever know_...the thought gripped her. It was the cruelest of destinies to be the servant of a god whose face you could never see. She felt helpless in the face of the torment before her. 

His hand began to reach toward the inviting light...to touch if only for a moment...NO, her heart screamed but she held her tongue. This was his torment and his alone. 

"Sir,"...his hand molded into a fist of iron at the sound of the voice behind him. The servant entered the room, his eyes darting from his master to her guest. In a moment, the tortured soul she had been watching in silence was gone. In his place, she saw her Prince. The change had been instantaneous, but unmistakable. This was a man whose heart knew no torment. This was a man who ruled his world absolutely. "Krane requests an audience for his childer. What shall I tell him?" 

"Tell him I look forward to his company." As the servant turned to go, the Prince looked up, and for the first time became aware of her presence. "Good evening, Baroness." His face was a mask of stone, but the light of the fire danced in his eyes still. 

"Good evening, my Prince." She lowered her eyes, humbled by his gaze. 

He moved away from his shrine and seated himself in the center of the sofa that faced the entrance to the room. As she parted her lips to speak, her servant reappeared in the doorway, ushering in her new guests. "Thank you, Phillipe. That will be all." They were not the words she intended to say, but was suddenly grateful they were the ones she spoke. No one moved until Phillipe bowed slightly and left. 

"Hello, my friend." The Prince spoke even as he motioned for them to enter the room further. Knowing his place, Krycek followed his sire's lead. He knew nothing of the man seated on the couch except that he was the prince of this city, and that he had made Krane his right arm—his Scourge. 

"Hello, Morgan." Krane replied. 

The two men watched as a delicate looking woman made her way from the glass doors at the edge of the room to a position directly behind her Prince's left shoulder. She smiled and nodded her head at Krane in greeting. Krycek noted the exchange with fascination as his sire acknowledged her. He had never known Krane to be a warm man, yet he addressed this woman with sincere affinity, as if they shared a bond not unlike two soldiers dedicated to the same cause. 

"May I present my childer—Alexei. Alexei, this is Father Morgan Black...Prince of Dark City. And this is his Seneschal...Baroness Angelique Gabrielle." 

Morgan Black rose to his feet and faced the man directly. "You are the childer of my Scourge; as such, I bid you welcome to my city. You are safe here." 

The implication was clear and Krycek needed no further explanation. He was protected from the others of their kind within the boundaries of this city, but his conduct here would be a reflection on his sire. "Thank you, my lord. You have my sire's loyalty, and so you have mine." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Krane's expression of approval. He had spoken well. 

Returning to his place on the sofa, Morgan eased into a more familiar air. "How may I be of service?" 

With a glance to Krane, Kryeck received the nod of permission he needed to continue. "For the past few years I have spent my time protecting Kindred interests from the affairs of mortals. Now, a threat has arisen to the lives of two mortals who are intricate to my plans. I seek protection for them." 

"What have these mortals done to warrant my intervention on their behalf?" 

It was Krane who explained. "There is an invasion coming from a force not of this world. These mortals have been trying to prevent it and as a result have placed themselves directly in its path. There are those who wish to see this invasion succeed, and not all of them are mortal." 

"Do you mean to tell me that this "threat" to which your childer alludes is from one of our own?" No shock, no fear...he simply wanted to clarify the facts. 

The question was directed at his Scourge, but Krycek could not restrain himself. This was no time to stand on ceremony. "My lord, please understand. At this time, I have no way of being sure from where the danger originates. But there is evidence to suggest that the attack will come from somewhere among the Kindred. If these mortals are left to die, there will be no one to take their place. The invasion will proceed unchecked, and we will be left without a food source." Krycek's voice was taut like untempered leather. Even with the distance between them, Morgan Black could smell his fear. 

Krane had always trained his childer well. They could fight and win, and they knew it. With that knowledge had always come an air of arrogance that Morgan, having the heart of a warrior himself, could not help but respect. This man was no exception. And yet, here he stood looking back at Morgan with a battle weary face, riddled with dread. "Why come to me? Do you feel you cannot protect them yourself?" 

Kyrcek replied slowly, measuring his words carefully. "I have a history with these two. Many times we have fallen on opposite sides of a battle. They know nothing of who _or what_ I am...or of my real purpose. The best protection I can offer them is to uncover the snare set for them and eliminate it. They need never know of my involvement." The Baroness watched as he cast his eyes downward to the floor. Perhaps, someday, he would favor her with the tale of this "history." 

"What you ask of me is no easy task. You want me to bring them into our society - expose them to it. The Masquerade will be breached..." Morgan let his words trail off and carry their implication with them. He rose to his feet and turned to face the warmth of the fire once more. After a few thought-filled moments, he sighed his conclusion. "I will meet with my council. You will have my answer by the next moon." 

It was a dismissal. As the two men turned to go, the Prince spoke again. "Krane?" 

"Yes, Morgan?" 

"See that the entire Counsel is assembled here tomorrow night. Ten o'clock...no earlier." He had not turned back to face them. 

"Okay, Morgan." Krane raised his arm, gesturing for Krycek to preceed him out. When the front door had closed behind them, the young progeny turned to his sire. 

"What will he do?" 

"Don't worry, he will see to their safety. We'll just have to wait and see. Come child, it's time to feed. We will all need our strength for what is to come." They began to walk in silence and were soon swallowed into the shadows. 

* * *

The sun rose—the sun set, and soon the crescent moon was shining brightly in the sky. The hours that had passed since Morgan's meeting with Krane and Alex Krycek had not passed peacefully. 

When the Baroness crossed the foyer into his study, she saw him seated behind the large oak desk. His elbows rested heavily on the arms of the chair; fingers poised together at the tips and raised to the bridge of his nose...he was the picture of the servant king. Often she could feel the emotions that radiated to her from her Prince, but tonight he had fully guarded himself. She could sense nothing in him save the walls he had deliberately erected. When he was ready for her to know, he would reveal himself. Of this fact she was sure. 

"Have you reached your decision yet?" her tone cautious, ever weary of the respect he had earned. 

"There is no decision to be made—only action to be taken. The Kindred must be protected. And it appears that my city will have to be the instrument of that protection." He knew she could read him if she chose, but she wouldn't. She would never intrude on him uninvited. She would never abuse the trust he placed in her; it was too hard earned. Always calm even when the situation was not, always the statesman in the midst of Philistines, she was the enlightened word in a myriad of raised sabers, and he valued her for that. There had been times when they did not see eye to eye; there had been times when she strongly opposed the course he had started upon, but never did she allow differing opinions to sever her support of him. She stood by his side resolutely with an unwavering faith. She had _proven_ her loyalty time and again, and yet there were still moments he found that the Prince must be prince alone. 

"It's time, my Lord. Your Counsel awaits you." If there were anything she could have done to lift this burden from him...but there was nothing she could do but follow where he led. And so, as he left his study and entered the Counsel chamber, she did just that. 

As the Baroness took her seat beside Krane, Morgan scanned the room to ensure each of the Primogen was present. Satisfied that every clan in the city was represented, he took his place at the table, but remained standing. 

"Thank you all for coming. Krane, would you please explain to the Counsel the circumstances you described to me yesterday?" That said, Morgan took his seat. 

As Krane spoke, the Prince searched the faces of those seated around him, gauging their reactions. For the most part, his gaze was met with visible astonishment, until his eyes fell on Shroud. 

Not a Primogen, Shroud did not sit at the table with the Counsel. He was an Archon—a representative of the inner circle that governed all Kindred. He stood behind his progeny, Grendal, and observed the goings on in this City from the shadows with an expression of stone. When Krane had finished his explanation, Morgan watched as Shroud leaned forward from the waist to whisper in the Nosferatu Primogen's ear. 

"Now that you all understand the situation, if any of you have anything to say, now would be the time," Morgan stated flatly. He wondered how long it would take before Grendal spouted his sire's objections. 

"Father Morgan," Grendal began. _Well that didn't take long at all,_ Morgan mused to himself. "I fear that this course of action may not be in our best interests. Surely there must be some other way to protect these people without jeopardizing the Masquerade." Grendal may not have been the most diplomatic one in the room, but he certainly knew when to tread lightly. This was just such a time. 

"I understand your concerns, Grendal," Morgan replied. He glanced over Grendal's shoulder, directly into the face of the Archon, then returned his attention to the Counsel. "I have considered the other possibilities, and if it is true that the threat comes from a member of the Kindred, it would be almost impossible to protect them without direct intervention. And for them to be brought here under false pretenses would only create a disadvantage to us. These two are not fools. They would sense something amiss and try to discover the secret. But if they know they are being protected, and why, they will work with us, not against us, to preserve themselves." 

The logic was sound and could not be refuted. Nevertheless, a point had to be made, and despite the fact that he was out of line to do so, it was Shroud who was going to make it. "So you are willing to personally accept responsibility for this breach of the Masquerade?" 

"I don't believe I was addressing you, but since you inquired, your answer is simple. I accept responsibility for everything that happens within MY domain. The mortals will be brought to me. They are under my protection and not to be touched. Please be sure your clansmen receive word. Any member of any clan that breaks my law will answer directly to me." Morgan left no room for argument. The decision was made—the Prince had spoken. 

"Since there are no other objections, I bid you good evening." Morgan rose and left the room to return to the quiet of his study. He sank back into his chair and waited. He knew they wouldn't be far behind. When all the Primogen had left, and silence reigned the house again, those Morgan trusted most joined him in his sanctum. 

"With your permission, Baroness, I would like them brought here. I would like them to be comfortable—I know you can see to that better than anyone," he said with a sardonic smile. 

"Of course, my Prince. I and my home are at your disposal always." 

Nodding his appreciation, he turned toward the window. Seemingly lost in his own thoughts, his next words fell from his lips like tears down a child's cheek. "Krane...bring them to me." 

* * *

**Hoover Building Washington D.C  
24 hours later**

The autumn sun had already set as they left the solitude of their offices. It had been some time since they had returned from their adventure in Antarctica, and life was just starting to get to as close to normal as it was going to - considering the revelations they had been presented with. How do you go back to day-to-day functions when you know that a planned Armageddon is being put in place, and that someday in the future an extraterrestrial force will colonize planet Earth, using its inhabitants as hosts to gestate its population? The answer is—you don't. But for Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully this knowledge was simply par-for-the-course of their lives; lives that, for the past six years, had been spent in pursuit of proof of this information. But even for Clark Kent, the workday ended occasionally, so tonight they were on their way home. 

As he walked side by side with his partner, a protective hand on the small of her back, Mulder scanned the area carefully. 

It caught his eye the moment they entered secured parking structure. Living the kind of paranoia that afflicted Mulder lent itself to developing certain habits—not the least of which was being aware of your surroundings at all times. _A black van with blacked out windows parked in the secured lot at FBI headquarters...sounds like a pathetic plot twist in a B-movie,_ he thought sarcastically. 

The half curl of his mouth spiked her interest. "What's so funny?" 

"Do you think _that_ is for us?" He pointed at the suspicious vehicle with one hand while reaching to unsnap his weapon with the other. Instinctively, she went into the same reflex in case she needed to back him up. When he saw the side door of the van swing open, he stepped slightly ahead of her, positioning his body between her and harm. 

Slowly, four men began to emerge taking up calculated positions surrounding the agents. In an instant, Mulder and Scully had their weapons drawn and at the ready. "Stay where you are and put your hands where I can see them!" 

Her feminine voice held an air of assured authority rarely seen among the more gentle of the species...Krane was mildly amused. "Go on, boys, show her your hands," he said with a chuckle, as he stepped forward from behind the van. 

Obeying their order immediately, his men demonstrated their hands showing that they were unarmed. They moved in closer, tightening the net that kept the agents in place. "Stop where you are; do not come any closer, or we will fire." The agents stood back to back trying to watch the movements of all their would be assailants, their weapons trained at center mass. 

_Let's see how open they are to extreme possibilities,_ Krane thought to himself. There was no reason to test them at this point, but he knew it would at the very least be amusing. He nodded to the smallest of the men encircling the agents, "Take their guns." 

He took one sure step toward them as Mulder leveled his gun squarely at him. "Stop where you are or so help me God, I'll shoot you where you stand," his voice strained. Krane watched closely; what he saw wasn't fear. No, this man was not afraid. There was something there behind this mortal's eyes...rage. He was enraged! "How remarkable! Alexei, has chosen his allies well," he thought with gratified approval. 

As the smaller man continued to move closer, Mulder fired, hitting him dead center in the chest twice. 

At the sound of Mulder's weapon being discharged, Scully turned slightly. Glancing up at him, she saw the shock that registered on his face then turned to face the wounded man. She saw the wounds in the victim's chest; she saw the blood pouring forth; she saw the victim still standing, seemingly unaffected by the injuries that were just inflicted on him. 

"As you can see, your weapons have little affect on those of my kind." The gleam in Krane's eyes was triumphant, relishing the power he wielded. 

"Who are you?" Mulder asked weakly, his eyes squinting with confusion. 

"All in due time, Agent Mulder. All in due time. Felix, if you would..." Krane tilted his head in the direction of the two stunned mortals. 

Silently, the man standing to Scully's right stepped forward, an expression of concentration contorting his face. The words he spoke were the last thing that registered in Mulder and Scully's minds. "Sleep now." 

* * *

**The mansion of the Baroness  
Some time later**

As Scully began to stir, she forced herself to linger just a moment longer and enjoy the soft warm place her mind had taken her. She nuzzled a little tighter into the thick blankets and relished the final traces of her peaceful slumber. Opening her eyes slowly, she allowed herself a long languid stretch. 

Suddenly fully aware that she had no idea where she was, she leaped from her bed. She reached to her side searching for her gun only to find that it wasn't there. That was when the panic set in. 

She ran to the window and peered out into the darkness, hoping to find some evidence of her location. All she found was the black curtain of night draped over some heavily wooded lands. Consumed by dread her thoughts turned to Mulder. "Oh, no...not again," she sighed as her face fell heavily into her hands. 

She pushed back the tears that threatened in her eyes and forced herself to think rationally. She knew there must be a way out, she just had to find it. For the first time since she awoke, her eyes began to take in her surroundings with the precision of a scientist. She surveyed the room inch by inch, taking it apart as if she were wielding a scalpel. 

The furnishings were elegant in their simplicity. She looked at the bed she had risen from just minutes before. It was a beautiful four poster black cast iron bed frame, with sheer white nylon draped across the top and down one side. A large white pine dresser with a tri-fold mirror was unobtrusively tucked into one corner, and the matching night tables were on either side of the bed. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a black cast iron dressing table and stool. Scully scanned through the contents of the table and found it well supplied with nothing but the finest perfumes and ointments. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was also stocked with her favorite cosmetics, all in her chosen shades and colors. 

With a feeling of imposing doom, she walked over to the closet and flung open the door. Flipping through the hangers she saw all her favorite designers and every article of clothing was in her size. "Oh my God," her heart screamed as her pulse began race. 

She ran back to the window and tried the latch, but it required a key and was bolted shut. Quickly, she found her way over to the door. Placing her hand on the knob, and turning slowly, she found that it was unlocked. She could not stop her next thought... _Into the lion's den we go._ She opened the door boldly and the stepped back from the man that faced her; her breath caught in her throat as she appraised him. 

"Good evening, Agent Scully. I trust you've found your accommodations acceptable?" He was polite and cordial and completely terrifying. Standing seven feet tall if he was an inch, he towered over her like a mountain. His height was only surpassed by the sheer bulk of his shoulders and chest. He was the largest being she had ever seen. And yet for all his imposing size, he was not trying to intimidate her. 

"Where am I? Where's Mulder?" she stammered. 

"All will be revealed to you in due time. My name is Sebastian McCombs. I'm here to escort you downstairs; your host awaits your company. Would you like a few more minutes to freshen up?" He smiled at her with no warmth and no malice. It was his ability to remain so unreadable that made her feel the need to be prepared to strike. She wished desperately for the feel of her gun in her hand. 

As if able to read her thoughts on her face, Sebastian tried to reassure her. "Your weapon, as ineffective as it might be, will be returned to you shortly. Please come with me." It was not a request for she knew she had no other choice. 

Trailing two steps behind him, she followed his lead down the lushly carpeted hall and then down the main staircase. They turned sharply to the left and stopped at a closed door. "You have nothing to fear here." For some reason, his words held no reassurance. 

Opening the door for her, he gestured for her to proceed into the dimly lit room. "Mulder..." she exhaled as she took the three steps that brought her to his side. The air returned to her body as she felt that familiar hand press securely to her back. "Are you all right?" she asked. 

"I assure you Agent Mulder has not been injured, nor will either of you be harmed while you are in _my_ city." Scully turned to see that the voice had come from the man seated in the chair behind the desk. But despite the confidence, with which the assurance had been given, she returned her attention to Mulder for confirmation. 

"I'm fine, Scully." His voice was sure and calm, but his eyes spoke another story entirely. 

Scully surveyed the room, quickly. Starting from the door where she entered, her gaze traveled around the room in clockwise rotation. She saw the rich, dark oak desk with the man seated behind it in a high back leather chair. To his right she saw a delicate looking woman with long sable colored hair. Her face was familiar, but for some reason Scully couldn't place her. Sebastian had taken up a position to the left of the seated man. Behind the desk were bookshelves set into the walls and filled with leather bound volumes. Her eyes continued their journey to the large bay picture window and stopped at the man seated on the sill. He was shadowed, but it didn't matter. Even if she couldn't see him, she could feel the cold that wafted off of him. 

When he was satisfied that Scully had acquired her bearings, the Prince rose from the desk and crossed the room toward them. "My name is Morgan Black, and I am Prince of this region." The look of confusion on the mortal's faces almost amused him. "I know there are many things you do not understand right now, but I hope to soon alleviate your concerns. Allow me to make my explanations first and then I will answer any remaining questions. Agreed?" The agents both nodded their heads silently and waited. 

"Good." Morgan turned and reclaimed his place behind the desk and motioned for Mulder and Scully to be seated on the sofa behind them. "Well, let's begin with some introductions." He turned to Sebastian and nodded. 

"Since Agent Scully and I have already met, allow me to introduce myself to you, Agent Mulder. I am Father Sebastian McCombs." He turned to the woman to his right and gestured with an open palm. "This is the woman who will be making decisions about your life in the Prince's absence. Seneschal of Dark City - Baroness Angelique Gabrielle." 

A wave of understanding passed over Scully's face. _So that's where I know her from._ She turned to Mulder to see if he had reached the same realization, but his face was impassive. 

"And I believe you've both met the Prince's Scourge—Krane." The man seated on the sill of the bay window stood up and stepped into the light. 

"You!" Mulder was suddenly on his feet and with a slight twist of his body shielding Scully. She rose behind him and placed her hand gently on his arm. 

The Prince spoke in hushed tones. "Agent Mulder, rest assured, if I had wanted either of you harmed, you would not be standing here today. Krane brought you here on my order. An order I did not give lightly. _Here_ is the only place I can guarantee your safety." 

"Safety from what?" Mulder bellowed. "You accost us in a parking lot, take us God knows where against our will, and you expect us to believe you're trying to protect us?!" His voice had taken on the edge of anger he had been trying to contain. 

The Baroness stepped to the front of the desk and leaned against the corner nearest Mulder. "Please, just give us a chance to explain. I promise you, if you just hear us out, you'll understand why you're here." Her eyes were piercing, searing hot flames that cut into his mind. He felt his anger subside under her gaze. His face softened and he took his seat once more. 

"Thank you, Baroness. Krane, would you please tell them why they are here." Morgan's voice was weary, but never faltered in its authority. 

Krane sat back down on the nest of pillows on the bay window sill, but this time the light followed him. "It has been brought to our attention that there is an invasion coming. A colonization by an alien force." He quirked a little smile when he saw the shock that spread across their faces. 

The Baroness interjected, her voice soft and steady, "Don't be so surprised that we know of such things. We are in every walk of your mortal lives. We are your policemen and shopkeepers, your doctor's and even your senators and congressmen. We are among you everywhere just below the surface." 

"But who..." but before Mulder could finish his question, Krane continued his explanation. 

"You've made some powerful enemies, Agent Mulder. Much more powerful than I think you realize. Those enemies want you out of the way. You and Agent Scully both. You've become an obstacle to their plans that needs to be eliminated. We want to make sure that doesn't happen." 

"What's your interest? Why would you want us protected?" Scully asked. 

"Because without you, colonization would be unimpeded," Krane replied. "If the earth were to be taken over by the force you've both been witness to, our kind would be left hungry with nothing remaining to feed us." 

Mulder was losing patience. "Your kind? Scourge? Seneschal? Just who are you?" He knew, but he had to hear the answer anyway. 

Morgan, who had been staring out the window, turned back to his new wards. This was it. _He_ had to tell them; this was the final breech of the Masquerade and responsibility for it had to be his. "You know who we are, Agent Mulder. You've encountered us once before. But now, you will understand exactly what you are dealing with." 

He rose to his feet. "We are what you have read about; what you have had nightmares about. We are why you fear the night and cherish the protective smile of Dagda that comes with the dawn." He bowed his head, and when he lifted his face once more, he was transformed revealing his true nature. "Perhaps this explains it more thoroughly." His eyes aglow with predatory furry, his fangs bared...in that moment he became terror. 

Just as quickly as fear had been personified itself, it was gone. Morgan looked at them once more with sympathetic eyes. "Your safety will help ensure the survival of my kind. Therefore, I must ensure your survival." 

Mulder reclaimed his voice through the haze of confusion fogging his mind. "You call yourself the 'prince'. What does that mean?" 

"It means that in this region, my word is law. I rule here absolutely." Morgan stepped away from the desk, and glancing sidelong at Sebastian, he turned to the leather bound books behind him. 

Sebastian took up the gauntlet where his Prince had left it. "The world itself is divided among us—separated into regions we call cities. Each city, if ruled by the Camarilla, is governed by a Prince whose authority is complete within the city's boundaries." He allowed them a moment to process the information thus far, and then he continued. "The Kindred, for that is what we call ourselves, are made up of thirteen clans. Seven of these clans are represented in the Camarilla, which is the unifying body of Kindred worldwide. The rest have chosen to keep themselves separate. In each city, there is a counsel made up of the head of each clan known as a Primogen. They are the voice of their clan to the Prince. You will meet the Primogen later." Again he waited for them to mentally catch up. "The Scourge, " he said, gesturing to Krane, "is the Prince's enforcer. I act as Prince Black's emissary. The Baroness is Seneschal—or counselor—and as such, acts for the Prince ! in his absence." 

Scully was trying very hard to keep her clinical wits about her. There had to be some rational explanation for what was happening. "You said that you live among the 'mortal' world..." she stared intently at the Baroness. 

"Yes, Agent Scully. What better place to be concealed than right out in the open. We protect ourselves by means of something we call the Masquerade. Almost all Kindred hold the Masquerade as the most sacred of our laws. No kine may know of our existence and live. The choice to the immortal is simple: bestow the Embrace or leave the mortal for dead. No breech of the Masquerade is tolerated, and the consequence is final destruction." When she had finished, the Baroness turned to her Prince. "My Prince has chosen to take this very dangerous step to make sure that our species survives. Both of our species." 

"What you need to know," Morgan said, turning back to them, "is that _here_ , I make the rules. And my rules for you are simple. You are not to leave the house without one of us knowing it. You are not to leave the grounds without my express permission, and not without a guard. For now that is enough. As you become accustomed to our way of life, I will explain further. In the mean time, your dinner awaits you in the dining room. Baroness..." he let the implication of the command carry with a momentary glance. 

She grimaced for a brief instant. In the next moment, her servant presented himself. "Yes, Madame." 

"Phillipe, please show our guests to their meal." 

"Yes, Madame." And with a flourish of his arm they were escorted out. 

The Prince turned once more to his inner circle. "Watch them; see what they do." 

* * *

The two agents were shown into an elegantly furnished dining room and seated at the table set for two. After dinner had been served and the wine poured, they were left to themselves for the first time. 

"Talk to me, Mulder. What's going on here?" she asked with quiet urgency in her voice. 

"Calm down, Scully. We'll figure this out." He grasped her hand reassuringly. "Let's think this through step by step. They said we've encountered their kind before...remember your little sheriff friend down in the Lone Star State?" he asked, trying to hide his mischievous grin behind his wineglass as he sipped slowly. 

"Oh, please! You can't be serious. You aren't suggesting that all these people are..." 

"...undead? Nosferatu? Yeah," he said with a faint chuckle, "that's exactly what I'm suggesting." 

"In that case, Agent Mulder, you'd only be half right." The agents turned to see the Baroness seated sedately at the opposite end of the long table. 

Scully immediately responded. "I really wish you people would just stop appearing out of thin air." 

"I'm sorry, Agent Scully. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that some of us have the innate ability to move around unnoticed—sometimes I forget not to." 

Scully began to reply, but found herself cut off almost immediately by her partner. "What do you mean 'half right'?" Despite the fact that his question was directed to their hostess, Mulder's cautioning glare remained on his partner. 

They needed to understand this world if they were to survive it; with that in mind, the Baroness proceeded to explain. "Sebastian mentioned earlier that the Kindred are made up of different clans. The Nosferatu is only one of them. Granted they alone among us posses the horrible disfigurement that Hollywood seems bent on propagating, but I assure you, even they are well gifted at hiding themselves." 

Despite Mulder's caution, Scully needed to speak. "But you are a public figure. Your face is seen every day on commercials and billboards. How can you be what you claim and still travel around raising money for starving children?" 

Mulder's face was incredulous. "Scully, what are you talking about?" 

"Don't you recognize her? Remember those commercials with all the starving children? 'Can you spare a dime a day?' This is Angelique Gabrielle; she's a world famous philanthropist who specializes in children's charities." _He can be so thick sometimes,_ she thought to herself exasperatedly. 

The Baroness smiled affably. "You're right, Agent Scully. I am who you say. But you must understand that just because I am Kindred does not discount the mortal I once was. We feel the same emotions you do, but from a slightly different perspective." 

"I don't understand," Mulder stated in a tone encouraging her to go on. 

"Don't worry...you will. Both of you will. This world is hard to take in all at once. It took me the first hundred years to get acclimated, don't expect to understand us overnight. But a word of warning..." they looked at her quizzically. "You have the run of the house, and may go where you wish, but you may encounter some interesting characters along the way, especially on the grounds. Be careful; stay out of their way. Despite the civility you have seen so far, remember that we are above all else predators. We do feed on the blood of mortals; though we do not need to kill to survive, there are those who simple enjoy it." Her matter of fact air pinned her guests' attention. "You are to us as a steak is to you—food." Then her expression changed, and her concentration seemed to intensify. "But do not fear, you are under the protection of the noblest of our kind. Be wise, and you will be safe." With that, she rose from the table and left them to their meal. 

Slightly dazed, but skeptical to the bitter end, Scully voiced her fear. "I don't like this, Mulder." 

"Scully, if they had wanted us dead, we would be already. I'll admit there is something else going on here that they haven't told us, but I believe they really are trying to protect us." He sipped his wine again. "I need you to promise me something..." 

"What's that?" Promises to Mulder rarely went unpunished. 

"Behave—that's all." With a wink, he lifted a forkful of food to his mouth. 

* * *

**next day.....**

As she strolled along the dimly lit corridor, Scully considered all the things she had seen and experienced the last few days. Inevitably, her thoughts turned to all the characters in this drama she was trapped in. As a scientist, Scully couldn't help but be intrigued by these seductive creatures. They were all so different, and yet they fit together perfectly, as pieces of a puzzle. Krane, Sebastian, the Baroness—each a tool with a specific role to fill, all under the direction of their leader. Now there was a paradox to consider - Morgan Black. 

She continued at a casual pace, enjoying the artwork on the walls, until she found herself in the library. Standing near the windows overlooking the garden and lost in her own thoughts, she did not see the dark figure emerge from the shadows until he was upon her. 

He was not among the occupants of this house that she had been introduced to thus far, and the fact that he was _here_ made her nervous. His short, stocky frame held a relaxed air that was completely opposed to the stone cold stare he fixed on her. 

In the face of her current living conditions, Scully had taken to never being without her sidearm. It had been clearly demonstrated that a bullet offered very little protection against the threat before her now, but nevertheless, it did offer some comfort to know her weapon was within reach, nestled inside her jacket pocket. 

He sauntered rather and walked toward her and began circling her menacingly like a shark ready to strike. "So you are the mortal 'my Prince' has chosen to favor with his protection." His voice was taunting her with its patronizing superiority, but she had given her word to Mulder that she would do nothing to antagonize the inhabitants of this world. 

She responded politely, "Yes, I am one of them." Her hand slipped into her pocket and she fingered the safety on the gun. 

As he finished his perusal of her, he came to a stop facing her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vitello Vindigni—Giovanni clan." The slight bow he offered only served to mock her further. 

"Dana Scully. So tell me Mr. Vindigni, are you a guest of the Baroness?" She had to figure out just whom the hell she was dealing with. 

"In a manner of speaking. I have some business to address with your 'guardian angel'." The short silence that followed was just enough of a distraction. Without warning he lunged at her. His speed was so staggering that she was already restrained before his motion had a chance to register in her mind. He was standing behind her now; one arm locked around her waist, the other wrapped around her shoulders with his hand firmly cupping her chin. She began to struggle, trying to escape, but the harder she thrashed, the tighter he pulled her to his chest. 

The realization that resistance was futile began to grip Scully's mind. _Maybe I can talk my way out of this_ she thought with only a glimmer of hope. "What do you want?" she hissed. 

"Only to taste what 'my Prince' has kept for himself." Contempt and rage was all she heard coming from the voice in her ear. "Don't worry, my dear. I have a feeling you're going to enjoy this." 

She sensed the nearness of his mouth and tried to turn her face to see him, but he held her chin fast and turned her away exposing the tender flesh of her neck. She noticed in a blinding flash of clarity that even though he was so very near to her skin, she could feel no breath coming from him. He began to run his cold tongue along the defining lines of her throat as he traced small circles on her stomach with his thumb. 

"I've often found it intriguing how interchangeable human emotions are," he said quietly into her ear. "The way, for example, arousal can masquerade as fear. Tell me, Dana, are you aroused or are you afraid?" His voice wrapped around her like a shroud. Every one of her senses was overpowered by the presence of this creature. His touch was cold and hard; he looked of nightmares she would just as well not remember; he smelled of death. 

Her terror paralyzed her. She wanted to scream or fight—anything to make him stop. But there was no way out. Finally, she found her voice through the haze of her fear. The shriek she pushed from her body resonated through the halls of the house. Before the echo had died away... 

The pointed fangs had barely touched the thin protective layer hiding her blood-engorged veins when a blast of glass and wood showered over them. The Giovanni lifted his head from his prey just in time to see the figure of his attacker before the strike—but it was too late. 

As his claws sank deep between the ribs of his victim, Morgan Black let out the roar of an animal consumed by madness. In one fluid motion, the impaled Giovanni was flung across the room, his flight ending only when his body made contact with the opposite wall. "You dare challenge me inside my own domain! You will pay dearly for your insolence!" Morgan began closing the distance, preparing for another assault. 

Making herself as small as possible, Scully shrank back into the corner of the room. The only thing that could terrify her more than the violence she had just witnessed was the ferocity with which it was done. She tried to take her eyes off the carnage, but found it impossible. She was transfixed by the raw power displayed before her. 

The physical transformation in Morgan defied belief. His strong hands, fingers long and graceful, were now the claws of a beast, each digit protruding razor sharp. The sensuous curves of his mouth were marred and misshapen by the fangs that jutted out from behind his soft lips. His eyes were aglow, not with the intelligence and warmth she'd seen earlier, but with a vicious predatory gleam that looked more like blood lust than anger. All the while, the Giovanni's words haunted her thoughts "...are you aroused or are you afraid?" 

The savagery of the next blow sent a chill through Scully's body as the Prince struck once more, sending his stunned prey reeling off balance. But this Giovanni was not to be thwarted. When he had set himself firm once more, he reached inside his trench coat and pulled out a sawed-off shotgun, giving Morgan pause if only for an instant. 

The fiery blasts that rang out followed hard upon each other. The bright flare from the gun's muzzle caused Scully to avert her eyes, and when she turned back, she saw her fallen prince. 

He had dropped to his knees—two gaping wounds in his chest and belly still had embers aglow within. 

The Giovanni cried out in triumph, but this battle was far from over. As he approached the vulnerable figure on the floor, he pumped the slide on the gun once more. He then turned his attention to the meal he was distracted from earlier. "It seems, my dear, that our Prince is more easily vanquished than the rest of our kind were led to believe." He reached out a hand and took Morgan by the hair. 

Her eyes never left her wounded hero but traveled back and forth between his wounds and his face. When she saw the smile that crossed his lips, she drew back, sinking further into the sanctuary of her corner. 

His hand, covered in his own blood, reached up and wrapped itself around the hand in his hair. Scully's breath caught in her throat when she saw the flesh on the Giovanni's wrist and hand begin to burn as if dosed in acid. He cried out again, but this time in anguish. 

"Now that I have your undivided attention..." the Prince spat in a tone that punctuated each word. He fixed his glare intently on the Giovanni, and his brow furrowed momentarily. Without explanation, Vittelo Vindigni began to cringe and cower away from the predator with a vice grip on his wrist. 

He scrambled hard, trying to escape. When Prince Black did not let go right away, the Giovanni began to thrash and kick like a madman. When he was released, he scurried into the farthest corner of the room and did his best to shield himself from the invisible onslaught. 

The Prince, still on his knees, had never moved and neither had his stare wavered from the pitiful creature that had been reduced to incoherent blithering and whimpers. 

Suddenly, Scully became aware of Sebastian's presence in the room. _When did he get here?_ She couldn't understand how a mass the size of Sebastian could go unnoticed even for an instant, but there he was taking a sure hold of her attacker. And she finally breathed easy. His appearance had brought with it an air of safety that she thought she would never feel again. 

Quickly she crawled over to Morgan. He had set himself back on his haunches and bowed his head. He was losing strength, that much was obvious, and she took his elbow to help keep him steady. "Prince Black—Morgan...your wounds..." 

"I'll be fine. I simply need to feed," he replied as he shrugged off her hands. 

Her need to help him was overwhelming her reason. She was a doctor, but she was at a complete loss. No one could survive the damage inflicted on this body. "What can I do?" she asked tenderly. 

Trembling with the need to keep control, he raised his eyes to hers and locked them there. For an instant, they glowed more brightly than they had during his battle. The rumbling growl she heard coming from him was enough to make her withdraw. "FEAR ME!" his thunderous voice spat at her. 

Without breaking eye contact, he rose to his feet. When his footing was sure, he offered her a slight bow and turned on his heels to face Sebastian. "We'll deal with him tomorrow." 

"Of course, Morgan," the mountain answered assuredly. 

Without another word, the Prince of Dark City left the room and disappeared into the night. 

Moments later, Fox Mulder came running through the door at full steam—weapon drawn. "Scully," he whispered to himself as he saw her on the ground with her face buried in her hands. He dropped down beside her, and wrapped his arms around her tightly. 

"She simply had a bit of a scare," Sebastian explained calmly. "Take her back to her room, Agent Mulder. See that she gets some rest." 

Mulder lifted his face that had been buried in Scully's hair and looked at the man hanging like a rag doll from Sebastian's monstrous grip. "Did he do this to her?" His voice held all the menace of an antagonized Kindred. 

"This filth has made the unfortunate mistake of confronting your partner. She has come to no harm, the Prince himself saw to that. However, she does need some time—and some company. You take care of you ward, Agent Mulder, and I'll take care of mine. I assure you, justice will be swift and severe." He left he room quietly. Dragging his captive behind him. 

Mulder turned back to his shaken partner. He lifted her chin so she was forced to face him and brushed the hair from her eyes. "Are you all right?" he asked softly. 

"I'm fine, Mulder." _Liar_ he thought as she shook in his arms. 

"Can you tell me what happened?" 

"When we get upstairs...I'd like to lie down, I think," she answered. But the truth of the matter was, she wasn't exactly sure what had happened. 

He helped her to her feet, but when her knees proved unsteady, he wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her like a sleeping child. They made their way to her room completely unaware of the watchful eye following them from the shadows. 

"I'll make this go away, Mulder," Krycek silently promised. "I'll make this go away and you'll be safe again." 

* * *

Survival of the Species By: Niff Classification: XF with eventual M/K slash   
Rating: a weak R for the moment   
Author's Notes: Some of the character in this story are characters played in a live action role-play game. They have been used with their creator's permission. If you have any interest in knowing more about the game go to http://www.tiac.net/users/crucifix/index1.htm To all Dark City denizens—I hope I did you justice. Nic and Aries, once again thanks for the beta and all the encouragment. You guys are the best!   
Disclaimer: The characters you recognize belong to CC, 1013 Productions, and Fox. All other belong to the people from Dark City who created them.   
Feedback: There won't be a part 2 without it, so FEED ME!   
[email removed]   
---


	2. Survival of the Species II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you break Kindred law?

  
**Survival Of the Species II  
by Niffusa**

  
Mulder peered out the large window at the slowly setting sun and tried again to process the tale Scully had told him hours before. _What the hell was going on here?_ The assurance they had been given—that _here_ they would be protected—had been proven true, but last night was a little too close. For Scully to have been attacked within the house itself... _How did he get through the house's defenses?_ But despite the near miss, Scully was unharmed _Thanks to the Prince_. 

He had carried Scully back to her room and put her in bed. She had been shaking nonstop while she'd recounted the details of her attack and rescue. And as she spoke he covered her with the blankets and pulled them up to her chin, shielding her from any imagined threat. 

Some time before dawn, the Baroness had come to see to her troubled guest and sat down on the bed beside her. 

"Agent Scully, what you need right now is rest. I can help you if you'll let me." 

Scully had glanced back to Mulder, looking for some kind of reassurance. "Don't worry, Scully. I'll stay in here tonight. You won't leave my sight—promise." With that said, Scully turned back to her hostess and nodded. 

"Close your eyes, Dana. Close your eyes and listen to the sound of my voice. You're safe now...you're safe and no one can harm you." Mulder watched as the Baroness's words lulled Scully's trembling form into a peaceful slumber. "Sleep now, " she said very slowly and almost inaudibly. 

When Scully was fast asleep, the Baroness rose and began to walk toward the door with Mulder trailing close behind. "She'll sleep straight through till the evening. Right now, I must take my leave of you, but we'll talk more then." She touched her cold soothing hand to his cheek, and bid him good-bye. 

And now the day had passed. Scully had indeed slept through very peacefully; he, on the other hand, had barely any rest. At one point during the early morning hours, he opened the bedroom door to go retrieve a book from his own room and found one the hounds that he had seen patrolling the property standing sentry at Scully's door. _Taking no chances, huh?_

When the soft knock came, he nearly jumped to answer before the sound had the chance to wake his sleeping partner. The servant on the other side of the doorway smiled politely and gestured toward the cart in front of him. "The Baroness left instructions for a light meal to be brought here before the sunset." 

Mulder motioned for him to remain quiet and stepped aside to let him through. He looked out into the hallway, and, sure enough, the guard was still at his post. After the cart had been prepared and Mulder's coffee poured, Phillipe left the room in silence. 

Mulder returned to the window and leaned heavily against the frame. He watched the last fleeting rays of light fade beyond the horizon as he inhaled deeply at the rich aroma rising with the steam from his mug. He was just beginning to feel almost human again when he heard the stirring from the bed behind him. 

"Mulder?" the weak voice called out. 

"Right here, Scully. Right where you left me." He smiled as he sat down beside her on the bed and handed her the mug of steaming salvation. "Did you sleep well?" 

"Thanks," she said taking the offering from his hands. "Better than I expected to, that's for sure." She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped one arm around them on top of the blankets. Another knock came at the door, and Mulder was up in a flash to answer. 

Scully looked up and saw the mountain that was Sebastian enter the room. "How are you feeling?" he asked with genuine concern. 

"I'm fine, thank you. How is the Prince?" The fear on her face startled Mulder. _She makes that same face when I'm the one in a hospital bed._

"You will see for yourself. He has asked me to extend his invitation for you to witness Kindred justice. I will be waiting at the front door in one hour to escort you." With an effortless turn, Sebastian left the room and closed the door behind him. 

"I'm not sure, Scully, but I don't think we have the option of declining this 'invitation'. You feel up to this?" The amusement in his eyes sparked the twinkle in her own. 

"Go primp, Mulder. I'll be ready in forty-five minutes." 

* * *

She showered carefully, allowing the hot water to soothe her and the scent of the perfumed soap to surround her senses. When she returned to her bedchamber, she was startled by the presence of a young girl brushing out the fabric of a gown hanging from the top of the bed frame. "Excuse me, who are you?" 

Quickly, the servant turned to Scully and smiled. "I'm sorry, miss, I meant to be here before you went to bath, but the courier was late. I was sent by my mistress to help you prepare for this evening...and to give you this." She held out an elaborately folded note. 

"Thank you." Scully gave the paper a perfunctory once over. The parchment paper was heavy and even held the slight aroma of all things timeless. She carefully undid the circle of wax used to keep it sealed. The writing was a beautiful torrent of flourishes from the tip of a quill. _I know you have no need for the trappings of your sex, but it would bring me the greatest pleasure to see you adorned as the lady you show yourself to be._. It wasn't unsigned but the sender was unmistakable. 

When she finished reading, she looked again at the gown. Rich, dark green velvet hung down and flowed in glorious waves of soft cloth. It was then that she noticed the alabaster box lying on the bed. "What's this?" she asked glancing back to the still smiling servant. 

The giggle in her voice earned the girl one of Scully's patented raised eyebrow stares, but even that couldn't quell the glee on her face. "Open it!" 

With a sigh of frustration, Scully turned her attention back to the package on the bed. Her small fingers quickly undid the spring catch and lifted the lid to reveal the most breathtaking thing she had ever seen. Tentatively, as though it might burn her, her fingers reached out to touch the treasure. Her eyes traveled over the emerald encrusted cross _Celtic cross_ hanging from the white gold chain woven in the fashion of an old Irish wedding knot. 

She found herself dumfounded—Dana Katherine Scully was speechless. She turned to the girl behind her, searching for some explanation. Instead..."Come, m'lady. We haven't much time left to get you ready."

When Scully came to the top of the stairs, she saw her partner prowling the front foyer. All in black, cashmere turtleneck and beautifully draped wool pants, she realized with no small amount of humor that he was fitting into this world more and more everyday. He had always had the ability to absorb his surroundings—an ability that served him well. When she cleared her throat, he looked up and was, to put it simply, stopped dead in his tracks. 

She was stunning. The dress she wore came just off the curve of her shoulders and traveled down into long, formfitting sleeves. The neckline that stayed just this side of modesty, cascaded into the torso that draped perfectly over every curve and flared from the waist into a full skirt that trailed behind her as she began to descend one step at a time. A simple gold chain belt wrapped around her hips and hung down in layers. Around her neck, Mulder couldn't help but notice the absence of the cross _her cross...the one that gave me hope when..._. 

"Someone's obviously got an admirer," he chirped, trying to hide the irritation at the ornament around her neck. 

"Mulder, believe me when I tell you that no woman in her right mind would pass up the opportunity to wear an outfit like this." Lifting the skirt slightly, she offered him a trifling curtsy. 

"You really do look like you're about to hold court," he replied with a deep bow from the waist. "Come, Lady Dana. I believe your chariot awaits." 

They stepped outside to find Sebastian leaning against the car. "Ready to go?" 

* * *

When they arrived at the clearing, they stepped out of the car and looked around at the crowd that had gathered for the event. The diversity of the faces was not lost on the two mortals. Scully turned to Sebastian with a quizzical air and asked, "Is everyone here a vampire?" 

With more amusement than they had seen him demonstrate thus far, Sebastian answered. "Yes, Miss Scully. All those gathered here tonight are Kindred. Stay close to me for the time being." 

Club kids and Goths, businessmen, artists, and otherwise ordinary looking people thronged about, talking and laughing, as if this were a party of sorts. "Even in this world, it takes all kinds," the Baroness said in good humor as she approached the befuddled agents. "I'll see to them from here, Sebastian. I believe Morgan needs you for the final preparations." Thanking her politely, he took his leave and headed toward the large circle of standing stones they had seen from a distance. 

Mulder looked at the striking sable haired woman, adorned in a simple black velvet evening gown and looking slightly out of place. For the first time, he noticed a small gold cross around her neck, not unlike the one his partner had worn since she was a child. _Not tonight though huh, Scully?_ When he felt her gaze on him, he looked up and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Baroness, I didn't mean to be rude. I just couldn't help but notice..." his words trailed off as he gestured toward her neck with a nod of his head. 

"No need to apologize, Agent Mulder. In case you hadn't noticed, crosses in and of themselves, to not repel vampires for the most part. Symbols of religion offer no protection unless the bearer has true faith—only then does the symbol cause an effect. That kind of faith only comes along only once in every ten million people or so. This token," she spoke as she lightly touched the dainty piece of precious metal, "was a gift from my grandmother. It's one of the last remaining vestiges of my mortality." 

"What's going on?" Scully cast over her shoulder, unable to pull her eyes away from the activity within the circle that held the Prince and his emissary. 

"Just as in mortal life, each Kindred must decide for themselves what gods to worship," the Baroness explained smoothly. "For Morgan, the choice was made well before his Embrace. He is a priest of Dagda." 

"The king of the Tuatha de Dannans—the lore holds him to be the father of many of the gods of the Druidic Pantheon," Mulder said offhandedly, as if reading from a textbook. The Baroness stared at him in surprise. 

"Don't worry," Scully deadpanned, "you get used to him doing that. Please go on." 

Smiling in amusement, the Baroness continued. "You're absolutely right, Agent Mulder. You see Morgan is a Druid—one of the original Druids. And in the practice of his faith, it is not uncommon for a convicted criminal to be sacrificed. Your attacker, Agent Scully, has won for himself the honor of being just such a sacrifice." 

Scully watched as Sebastian made his way back toward them. "We're ready to begin. Agent Mulder, take your place with the Baroness. Miss Scully, please come with me." 

"Why? Where are you taking me?" Still slightly skittish from her previous night's adventure, Scully wasn't eager to be separated from her partner. 

"You will be in safe hands. In this ceremony, there is a special role for the one who has been offended." Taking her by the elbow, Sebastian left very little room for argument. 

Mulder began to protest as he saw her being lead away, but the sudden feel of a cool hand taking his recaptured his attention. " She won't be forced to have any part of the ceremony she'll feel uncomfortable with. If it would make you feel more at ease, I can arrange for you to be closer to her than was planned," the Baroness offered sympathetically. 

"No...I'm sure she'll be fine." It came out as more of a pout than he had intended, but at this point he really didn't care. When the Kindred in attendance began to gather closer, Mulder tried to distract himself with the details of what was to happen. 

Looking around, he made a more systematic inventory of the area. The stones the made up the circle stood twenty feet high and displayed ceremonial etchings that he didn't immediately recognize. Inside the ring, and in the center of a burnt area of ground, stood a ten foot tall effigy of a man woven of unpainted wicker; the head and arms were solid and a pole protruded up from the ground and through the center of the hollow chest cavity that allowed room for the accused held within to be bound. 

And in fact, there was the Giovani, tied to the pole with a stake through his heart. Around the stake, Mulder noticed a long rope that extended well past the scorched earth. "Can you explain what's going on?" he asked with genuine curiosity. 

"If you like. The one that is to die has been woven inside the wickerman. As you can see, he has been run through the heart by a wooden stake. Despite what they say on Buffy, a stake through the heart does not kill us. It puts us in a state known as torpor—a very deep sleep that we cannot awaken from until the stake has been removed or we have been revived by some other means." 

Mulder had been nodding his understanding, showing that he was following what he was being taught, and soon he realized exactly what was about to happen. 

"So the guy inside the wickerman is going to be set on fire and then the stake will be removed from his heart so that he's awake and aware of everything going on around him. That's sadistic!" he cried in outrage. His eyes searched for Scully and found her standing on a large rock just inside the circle. 

The Baroness replied in a calming tone, "Perhaps...but nevertheless necessary. Remember, Fox, this upstart would have gladly killed your partner if he had not been stopped. An example must be made of him if you and Dana are to remain safe." 

"And you support this?" he asked, turning his venom on her. 

The threat in her eyes appeared as if from nowhere, and without any doubt in his mind, Mulder knew he had gone too far. "I support my Prince." Her words, simple and to the point, were enough of a warning for him to let the matter drop. "I am here in my capacity as Seneschal. Whatever the vehicle of completion, the Giovanni subjected himself to final destruction. He must suffer the consequences of his actions." She looked across the distance that separated her from her Prince and, with a nod of his head, she knew the time had come. "Excuse me for just a moment. It's time to call the assembly to order." 

Stepping to the front, she raised her voice above the hum of the crowd. "I speak now for your Prince and call this congregation to order. He has declared Elysium here—there will be no violence of any kind. Let the word go forth from this place that this is what happens to those who would dare to break the Prince's law." She stepped back to her place beside Mulder. 

All eyes watched as the two priests, dressed in robes of white, began the prayers, blessing the sacrifice. They took handfuls of dirt and cast them into the pile of kindling beneath the wickerman. 

"The Druids believe that all things are interconnected...fire, water, earth, wind...we are all made of the elements of our mother—Nature—of whom Dagda is the Father. By sending this Kindred to his final destruction he is being given back to the force that spawned him," the Baroness mused to no one and anyone who wanted to understand. 

Mulder watched with dread as Morgan approached his friend, holding a blazing torch. If he tried, he could just make out what was being said. 

"Miss Scully, it is the custom of my people to allow the victim of an offense to exact the justice due," the Prince stated in a matter of fact tone. He offered her the torch, and with a faltering hand, she took it in her grasp. 

_NO, SCULLY! DON'T DO IT!_ Mulder screamed with a tortured, silent cry. 

"Or," Morgan turned suddenly sympathetic, "you may chose a champion to act on your behalf." The fear and anguish on her face melted the ice of his blue eyes. 

"I've dedicated myself to the preservation of life. I cannot be the one to decide how this...creature...dies or who will be the one to kill him." She handed the torch back to him, her body visibly shaking. "And I can't watch you do it either." 

"Very well," his face accepting and nonjudgmental. Staying by her side, he turned and handed the torch to Sebastian. "If you would..." 

The priest came to stand facing the front of the wickerman. He raised his hands to the sky and mouthed the final blessing. Bending from the waist, he touched the torch to the brushwood. Walking clockwise, he stopped at the side and repeated the ritual before continuing to the rear. 

"North, south, east and west...the sacrifice will be scattered by the four winds," the Baroness narrated in a whisper as Mulder continued to watch in horror. 

When all four corners where set ablaze, the entire assemblage waited until the flames reached the wickerman itself. The fire caught and spread quickly through every twig. The wood being consumed created and inescapable prison of flame for its occupant, and now it was time for him to see it. 

Reaching down, Morgan took hold of the rope in both hands and pulled back ruthlessly so that the wooden stake that had impaled the victim's heart was now pitched skyward and away. 

Instantly, Vitello Vindigni's eyes shot open. The agony-torn shriek of torment that came from his mouth echoed across the field and rang in the ears of all that heard him. As the fire touched his feet the smoke surrounding him billowed; as more and more of his dead flesh was consumed, the smoke blackened, until, finally, nothing remained of him but the dust he had come from. 

The smoke dissipated almost immediately, but the fire still burned. 

Morgan looked over at the quaking form standing on the rock. He stretched out his hand to help her down, and stood close enough to feel the shaking of her body. "It's over now," he said in the softest tone he could find. "Miss Scully, now that you've seen the horror of Kindred society, will you give me the chance to show you its beauty?" 

She looked at him with confusion and fear and all the trust she had ever felt in her life. "Yes," she replied with equal parts uncertainty and excitement, but in her heart, she knew she would go with him wherever he asked. 

He led her, his hand resting against the small of her back, to the Doosenberg parked a distance from the crowd, and soon they were gone. 

Seeing his partner starting to leave, Mulder tried to go after her when heard the voice of the Baroness behind him. "You cannot help her deal with that which you do not understand yourself." 

"What?!" he shot back. 

"I know what you feel for her, Fox. I can feel it in you. But take my word on this...leave her protection in the hands of those better equipped to guard her. With Morgan, she will be safe in every sense of the word." 

He knew she was right. He couldn't protect her from the things that went bump in the night. _But since when was Dana Scully swept off her clinically detached feet so easily._

"Give her the chance to experience this society in a way that she'll appreciate it most. And, " the Baroness continued with a playful gleam in her eye, "I suggest you allow yourself to do the same." 

Coming back to himself, he fell in step with his hostess's humor. "I'm assuming by the look on your face, you've got something in mind, though I'm not sure I want to know what it is." He was smiling now and began to close the distance between his body and hers. 

"No...I think you'll like the plans I've made for you. I regret that I won't be there to enjoy it with you, but I will be leaving you in very competent hands." As if summoned, two of the more attractive females from the crowd appeared on either side of the Baroness and nuzzled against her affectionately. Gesturing to her left she said, "I'd like you to meet Eris." He reached out and shook hands with the decidedly innocent looking young woman, despite the fact that her clothing revealed more than it covered. "And this is the Primogen of the Bruaha clan, Extasy." 

He cocked his eyebrows at the petite brunette standing to the Baroness's right and gave her a smile that might have affected a mortal woman. Indescribable except to say that she exuded sex in a tangible form, the Primogen appraised the new plaything she was being given. "So you're Fox Mulder," she said, her voice gravel coated with honey. 

"Most people just call me Mulder." _Ewww, boy._

"I'm not most people, Foxy." She smiled at him, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and paid attention. She turned back to the Baroness, "Thanks for the toy. Does he require any kind of special care or feeding?" 

"Extasy, he's under Morgan's protection and should be treated as such. Behave - do you understand me." Her tone may have been maternal, but Mulder saw the knowing expression punctuating her words for her. "I want him returned to the house before dawn and unmarked." 

"Morgie ruins all our fun. But I can play with him, right?" Extasy asked eagerly. 

"I think you should really ask Agent Mulder if he wants to be played with." Before anyone had a chance to drag the conversation farther into the gutter than it had already traveled; she began to back away into the crowd. "Don't worry, _Foxy_. I won't be very far away." 

When she had disappeared from sight, Mulder address his guardians. "Well, I can't complain about her taste in babysitters, " he quipped with a lopsided grin. 

The two Bruaha faced each other and laughed out loud. "This is going to be good," the unified chorus sang. "Come on, Mulder," Eris continued, "we're gonna show you our playground." 

Extasy reached out and took a firm hold of the front of his belt. And with a wink and a smile, she turned and led him to the black convertible waiting by the edge of the woods. 

As she watched the taillights pull away, the Baroness became aware of the presence approaching from behind. Without turning, she spoke to the nightcrawler that had stopped just short of her left shoulder. "Don't worry, Alex. Despite first impressions, I would trust her with my own life." 

"It's not her that worries me." He was quiet and sober, "Do you know where they're taking him?" 

"Actually," she answered turning to face him at last, "you'll be meeting the Nospheratu and Toreador Primogen in the alley just outside the club where he'll be. You can check on him when you're finished, if you like." 

"Perhaps," he replied thoughtfully. 

"If there is a problem, Felix Knight knows where I'll be. You can contact me through him. Miss Scully is very well protected—she's with the Prince." She looked at him warily, and then offered further, "But if you feel that Agent Mulder is unsafe when you find him, have Felix send word to me and I'll have him removed from the situation." 

His smile at that moment held all the mystery of the Mona Lisa's various moods. "Thank you, Baroness." 

From a polite distance, her driver called. "Excuse me, Baroness. We should leave now if you're to be on time." 

She cast her eyes to the side. "Thank you, Mike. I'll be right there. Please call ahead to Krane and make sure all the arrangements have been attended to." When she turned back to the nightcrawler, he was gone. 

End 

* * *

Survival Of the Species part II   
Author: Niff   
Archive: Ter/Ma, anywhere else please ask me first.   
Summary: What happens when you break Kindred law? (You will need to read part I in order to understand what's going on here)   
Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and Krycek all belong to CC and company. The citizens of Dark City belong to the people who created and play them, and have been used with permission.   
Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who sent me feedback after the first part of this story was posted; I hope you enjoy this part as well. Aries, thanks for the perpetual butt-kicking and the greatly appreciated beta (Did you ever know that you're my hero?) Nic, thanks for all the encouragement, the ideas when I had none forth coming, and the supreme beta (You are the wind beneath my wings.) STOP...I THOUGHT I WAS THE WRITING THE NOTES FOR MY SEPT. CHALLENGE STORY! Oh well, you guys are still the best thing out there for writers block   
Feedback: [email removed]   
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	3. Survival of the Species III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you break Kindred law?

  
**Survival of the Species III  
by Niffusa**

  
The terror-streaked features of his face began to fade as the black convertible came to a skidding halt in the parking lot of the club. "Hey, Ex," Mulder began with a tremble still in his voice, "I like a good thrill ride as much as the next guy, but next time, I'm driving."

"Dream on, Foxy," Exstasy drolled. "My car, and you, my dear, are my toy... at least for tonight."

He sat in the back seat taking a few deep breaths while the two vixens prepared for their entrance into the club.

"Okay, Mulder, here's the deal. This is a very special kind of club. Not everyone inside is Kindred and, therefore, not everyone knows you're off limits. So for your own protection... and our amusement... while you are in the club, you will be wearing this." Dangling from the finger of the Bruaha Primogen, Mulder saw a collar—a leather, studded collar.

"Wait a minute! You don't expect me to... " the stunned agent began to protest.

"Hey, Ex," Eris interrupted, "it's not going to work with the turtle neck."

"Well, then I guess he'll just have to lose the shirt, won't he?" The two of them began working in tandem until Fox Mulder was suitably shirtless and collared. In fact, he didn't get a word in edgewise until the leash had been clipped onto the ring in the front of his newly acquired attire. 

"Almost perfect," declared the babyfaced vampire, "but something is definitely missing. Any objections to getting your nipple pierced?" she asked with a flippant toss of her hair and a smile on her face that hinted at the child who had just stolen a cookie from the cookie jar.

He backed up as far as the tether around his neck would allow as Exstasy found a comfortable perch for herself on the trunk of the convertible, and lured her prey back against her body. She snaked her arms under his and then over the tops of his shoulders, all the while stroking him with one part of her anatomy or another... her hands, her body, her cheek... all were used as the tools she knew her physical form to be. Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist pulling him back tightly against her chest. And until the arms that wrapped around him had turned into a vice grip, Mulder was quite enjoying the attention being lavished on him—but at this point in time, he was more worried about the vampire hovering in front of him. 

"Come on, guys... can't we talk about this?" Mulder begged as he struggled against the strength holding him down. 

"Now, Foxlet... the more you fight the less, ummm, tidy the hole will be." The sight of Fox Mulder squirming in delicious dismay was enough to put the humor in Ecstasy's voice. She wouldn't really allow Eris to put one of her fangs, which was at the moment looming just a breathe away from his chest, through the mortal's nipple—the Baroness would be pissed—but it was fun to torture him a bit. "All right, Eris, let him off the hook."

A wave of relief washed over the agent's face and he began to relax back into the embrace of the Kindred sitting behind him. "Just as long as we're clear about one thing," Ex purred into his ear. He felt the cold slither of her tongue against the curve of his ear as it sent a shiver up one side of his spine and then back down the other until it settled completely in his groin. "Tonight you will obey me in all things. No questions. I'll protect you, but in exchange, you are mine to do with as I see fit. Are we clear?" The soothing caress of her words invaded his senses; he felt his resolve weaken only a hair before he heard the words... "Ah, fuck it. Bite him, Eris."

For a brief moment, the searing hot pain that rushed through his body left him as weak as a new born colt whose legs could not support his own weight. His strength drained as the pleasure flooded his mind and pushed his body farther into the touch of the mouth covering the delicate skin on his chest. The instant the chill of her mouth was gone, the overwhelming loss of sensation reduced any remaining coherent thought down to simple pleadings and whimpers. 

Eris drew away, still savoring the taste of his life on her lips, and smiled. She watched him eye her as her tongue licked the long fang that had just pierced his body removing all traces of the blood left behind. She trailed one slender, dainty finger across his cheek and down the plane of his neck, feeling the pulse of his veins beneath the surface. "You want more, don't you, mortal?" Her voice had _become_ seduction, and Mulder followed its lead.

"Please... " The one and only word his mind could still fully comprehend was followed by the sound of Exstacy in his ear once more... 

"I don't need to be able to read your mind to know that you've wanted to play these kinds of games for a long time, Fox. Your body gives you away." The feeling of a chilled hand kneading the rope of muscle on the inside of his thigh and inching its way up to where his life's blood was pooled was enough to break his last remaining vestiges of self control. His back bowed in an attempt to find the friction his cock craved. _JUST TOUCH ME!_ his body demanded, but demands are not to be made when you are the one owned. The next thing he knew, Fox Mulder was on the ground at his new master's feet, and the sudden lost of contact with the wintry body left him inexplicably colder.

"That feeling traveling through every part of your body and then settling right in your dick has nothing whatsoever to do with what we are... it's your own desires that are driving you now. But soon you'll see what it is to be ... dinner."

She led him by the leash through the door of the club and passed the on lookers that gathered there. It was always an event to watch Exstacy make her entrance and claim her club, but when she had a new pet in tow; suddenly the event took on epic proportions. All eyes turned to follow as they paraded in. Eris, trailing behind long enough only to pick up a toy for herself, found her way back to her Primogen.

The club itself could be described in a single word—dark—and in its darkness was its beauty. Rich wood tones were all around, covering the walls, the floors, and especially the large half-moon bar that was set on a platform against the back wall in the first of two large open areas on the first floor. The second was unique to say the least... 

Plush velvet couches, upholstered in deep shades of blues and burgundy, surrounded what might be called a dance floor by some, but what the regulars of the club knew as the performance arena. Intermingled with the sofas were high backed chairs, reminiscent of thrones belonging to the king's of yore, that were ensconced on both sides with wide, draping cascades of silk, giving each a touch of privacy from which to enjoy the nightly show of flesh revealed.

And revealed the flesh was. In this encapsulated oasis, clothing wasn't optional, it was outlawed. Throngs of people, mortal and immortal alike gathered together in smaller circles to enjoy some of the pleasures of this world. Hot skin on cold, no one here was left untouched for long. There was booze, there were drugs—but the pleasure of choice in this place was sex in all its assorted forms. 

Wide eyed with the spectacle before him, Mulder gazed on as the bodies writhing against each other stilled just long enough to watch while Exstacy took her seat in the largest of the chairs which was positioned at the center of the make shift circle.  
  
She moved in such a way that her chair seemed all at once decorated by her body. Laid out in all her erotic splendor, it seemed only fitting for Mulder simply to take his place at the foot of her throne, and wait for his mistress's bidding. As if on cue, her stable appeared and surrounded them bringing refreshment in their hands and lust seeping from every pore of their bodies.

Meanwhile from the shadows, a brooding figure carefully watched... and waited. He was due for his meeting, but there was always time to enjoy a Fox being tamed. He smiled caustically as Mulder skirted a little closer and cuddled up to Ecstasy's leg, as if seeking the security of his blanket. _Ah, what fools these mortals be..._

When satisfied that all seemed well, he slipped from the club unnoticed, and went to see about saving the world once again.

* * *

After stopping at the house for Morgan to become more suitably attired, they were on their way.

She looked over at the man seated silently to her left. Dressed in basic black, he looked as if he belonged in a different time and place all together. The suit coat he was wearing was long and hung down almost to his knees in a gently tapered curve from front to back. The white shirt beneath it was full, but not enoungh to be ostentatious, and was buttoned to the neck where there was seated a discrete onyx pin tie. He gazed out the window at the moving picture show of people, and looked for all the world like a man trapped between his needs.

Finally he turned to his guest and spoke. "I thought you might enjoy seeing the best each of our clans has to offer. Perhaps then you can gain the understanding you'll need to deal with our society."

Nodding her head in acceptance, she couldn't keep her hands away from the treasure around her neck. "Do you like it?" he asked with a guileless smile.

"It may be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. But somehow, I get the feeling that there is more to this bauble than you're telling me." Her face was open—her question true. She wasn't digging for anything... just trying to find a way to know this man who had taken her life and welfare to his heart.

"Let's just say that if there is one thing my years have taught me, it's that things are rarely what they appear to be on the surface." Deliberately changing the subject, "Tell me, my dear, what would you like to see first?"

"That's like asking what I want for dinner without showing me the menu, isn't it? I wouldn't know where to begin, so little of the clans have been explained to us." But then a thought hit her, "I guess the place to start would be your own clan."

"I assume you thought that was subtle, Miss Scully, but all the same, it does seem a logical place to start." _Centuries come and go, but somehow the mind of a woman remains the same._ "I am of the clan Gangrle, as is Sebastian. And though we are both followers of Dada, our faith is not shared by everyone in our clan."

"The Baroness mentioned that there are differences between the clans that make them unique... " she said encouraging him to explain further.

"I think it will be simpler to explain the Gangrle when we arrive at our first stop." He faced forward once again, and met the eyes watching them in the rearview mirror. "Edge, let's go visit the pack." 

They traveled up the road that winded its way around the mountain till they reached it's peak and pulled up to the large imposing gates that acted as a porthole through the tall stone wall. When Edge got out and came around to open her door, she looked to Morgan in surprise. Nodding at the iron sign embedded into the wall that read Bear Mountain State Park Zoo, "What are we doing here?" she asked trying to hide the twinge of fear she harbored in the back of her mind.

"There is absolutely no need to mask your misgivings... they serve you well," Morgan replied with only the insinuation of a smile, and extending his hand to her, palm down, he led her toward the gateway.

"I haven't any idea what you're talking about," she began with a slight air of annoyance. Her face was impassive and her tone flat, "I'm not afraid of you.

"Pity... I gave you more credit than you deserved," he mocked openly, but then turned deadly serious. "You've come to the top of a mountain, late at night, with two beings higher up the food chain then you are... not another soul to be found for miles and no one to hear your cries... you _should_ be afraid, Miss Scully."

"But, Father Morgan, you forget... I have your word on my safety," she returned the ridicule with a light-hearted tone that held no scorn or derision. "You've protected me without regard to your own safety in the past... why should I think you wouldn't protect me now." 

She had to some degree assessed her position accurately—but more importantly, she had assessed him. He wouldn't allow her to come to harm and had made that unmistakably clear. But she was still a target and had to learn to think like one. "Though your appraisal is more or less correct, you've still made one fatal error. Even the most tame of animals can become deadly if presented with the right motivation." For a moment, his eyes glinted of a wicked menace that sent a chill down the back of her neck. 

She seemed to shrink into herself when she realized the disguised threat, and she bowed her eyes toward the ground. "Your point is taken," she responded in a thoughtful tone. But her reticence never lasted for very long. Anyone would be hard pressed not to recognize the stubborn spirit of an Irish redhead that this woman seemed to embody. Ice struck sparks against ice as her eyes locked with Morgan's—challenging his very existence. She cocked her head to one side and returned his arrogance back to him tenfold, "But even the most violent of beasts can be put down... if the need arises." And he smiled, suddenly realizing that the target had sprouted teeth.

Edge had already opened the gate, and as they proceeded through, he shut it behind them. "I'll hang out here till you're ready to go, boss," and with a leap made himself comfortable on top of the wall.

"Fine... just be careful," Morgan threw back and then turned again to his companion. He chuckled at the startled expression on her face. "Surely you're not still surprised by the measure of our physical strength?"

"Actually... I think I'm more surprised that it's starting to be almost normal," she countered.

"Come, Miss Scully," he said softly, deliberately letting go of the banter they had begun, "there is someone I want you to meet."

He led her along the path, stopping now and again to gaze at the sleeping residents of various cages and caves. Eventually they arrived at a large rock formation set far back from the path and shielded by a tall fence topped with barbed wire. Scully peered into the darkness, looking for some evidence of life, and gasped softly when she saw a snow white ball of fur begin to move. And from virtually every nook and cranny, little flecks of white began to make their way toward the edge of the fence. "Will you excuse me a moment?" Morgan asked politely.

He stepped away from her, a look of impishness adorning the time earned wrinkles around his eyes. And when he vaulted straight up into the darkness, she nearly snapped her neck trying to follow him disappearing against the night sky. The silence was deafening until broken by the sound of soft pads and claws scratching on rock. Her eyes shot back, peering inside the fence, she came nose to nose with an immense, white, Siberian wolf. 

After the little yelp of surprise, she looked more carefully at the beautiful creature that seemed to be observing her just as intently. He cocked his head to one side and let out an inquisitive bark, and the realization that she was once more looking into the icy-heat of Morgan's eyes began to sink in. At the recognition appearing across the dainty woman's features, the stunning beast's eyes began to glow with the same feral hue of red she had seen in her champion before in another time and place. But this time there was no reason to balk at the sight.

He turned with a bark and a wag of his tail and walked directly into the pack of similar animals.

She watched as the pack carefully began to gather around its newest member - inching closer and becoming reacquainted with his scent. When it seemed that they had extended their welcome, the enormous creature came back to the edge of the fence, and led her around to a gate.

Her eyes began playing tricks on her, or so she thought, as the beast began to change once more back into the man inside. He opened the gate for her and made a sweeping gesture, bowing slightly from the waist, offering her entry.

Scully stepped in cautiously; uncertain of what to make of the exhibition of power she had just witnessed. But choosing to put it aside rather than ruin a moment she knew she would only have once in her lifetime, she smiled at him teasingly, "We're gonna talk about that stunt later," the challenge in her voice giving portent of the conversation to come.

"Looking forward to it, I assure you," he replied, stepping aside to allow her passage.

They approached the pack slowly, and when he motioned for her to take a seat on one the rocks, she didn't question. He sat beside her as the animals converged on them creating a breathtaking sea of white. 

Mysteriously, the pack began to separate, allowing a solitary creature to come forward... in its teeth, gripped by the nap of the neck, was one of the smallest of the most recent litter. Laying the cub down in Scully's lap, the mother stepped back just an inch, remaining well within a protective distance.

"You're being offered the gift of trust... your actions will show if it is deserved." He seemed to drift as if his thoughts led him to some distant place, "That's one of the pleasures of being among the beasts of the world - you're forced to remove the facade of civility society demands, and simply be whatever it is you _are_."

Scully began to stroke the cub, scratching its belly and watching it kick and giggle in glee. She turned to Morgan, the glistening of unshed tears in her eyes, and reached out to him—not with her hand, but with everything that she was. The moment would have been perfect—if her touch could have found him.

* * *

It was an alley. Dark, dirty, _Sometimes it seems I'll never get to come in from the cold_ , and smelling of things he had just as soon not be able to identify—like a thousand alleys he'd been in before. Krycek leaned against the wall waiting for the arrival of this city's information collectors. _It's amazing how little time means when you have eternity to kill_ he thought to himself as he noted how late they were. But he didn't have an eternity to save the lives of the kine that had no idea just how valuable they were to the human race—and the race that fed on them—and time was becoming a valuable commodity. 

He was expecting at least the Nosferatu to just appear from the shadows, but when the two of them began walking down the center of the alley—together - something jumped in his gut. He waited till the moment they were almost upon him which, by some coincidence, was one moment too late. He fought to hold his tongue as each of his arms, and the corresponding half of his body, were smashed mercilessly against the wall by the Kindred on either side of him. One, looking as if he could be the poster child for a young men's militia, beret and all; the other could have been any ordinary man—if it weren't for the bared fangs.

"We don't know you," the Toreador claimed. "We don't like talking to those we don't know. So now you have exactly five seconds to give me one good reason why we shouldn't string you up by your ankles, open your jugular, and drain you like a keg on prom night... "

"Because if you did, you'd have to explain it to your Prince... and I don't think he'd be real pleased to hear that you'd killed a Kindred he welcomed to his city." When he felt the bodies against him begin to relent, he pushed himself forward knocking them both back a step. "Now can we cut the pissing contest crap and get down to business?"

After a moment's consideration, Krycek watched as his attackers began to revert back from their vampiric forms. 

"I'm Grendel," the Nosferatu stated in simple explanation. Gesturing to his side, "This is Max, Primogen of the Toreador clan in the city."

Alex looked them both over, noting that not once did their eyes waver from direct contact with his. "Max, huh? Maximillian Von Strieger... "

The smile spread across the Toreador's face, "You mean you've heard of me... I'm flattered."

"... there's a warrant out for your arrest ya know... something about the bombing of a government building," Alex finished. "You should probably make that go away."

"Why would I do that, sweet childe?" the chilling smile matching the veiled threat of his tone. "Don't concern yourself with my affairs, boy... you'd be out of your league." Suddenly he had lost all pretense at civility.

The voice of reason, sounding an awful lot like Grendel, chimed in before the battle of the libidos could digress any further. "I thought you said you wanted to get down to business. What do you want from us?"

"Information... " the request was left hanging until Krycek continued. "You two, according to my sire, can find out anything without anyone knowing it. I need to know who hired the Giovanni to attack the female Morgan is protecting."

"Why should we help you?" Grendel asked. 

"I know you know why Morgan brought the mortals here in the first place... but I don't think he told you it was _my_ request that alerted him to the situation. Don't help me because I asked you to, or even because Morgan asked you... think of it as self-preservation."

The Nosferatu considered carefully the explanation laid before him. Krycek had a point. Even if he didn't agree with Morgan's methods, the priority now was keeping the agents safe. With resignation in his eyes, he continued... "What do you think the Giovanni had to do with this? Could be that it was just a play against Morgan—politics are always an issue around here."

"The timing seems awfully convenient... the day after they arrive, she's attacked? Even if it's not connected to whoever wants them dead... I would assume you'd like to know who would so publicly disregard the law of your Prince. The fact of the matter is that the Giovanni don't care unless business dictates they care. They fundamentally had nothing to gain by this. But if they were hired for this... "

Krycek's chain of thought was clear. Any way you looked at it, it was in everyone's best interest to know who backed the attack on Scully.

"So you," Grendel interrupted to complete the thought, "want to know who in Dark City has the means to buy the life of a Giovanni."

"Precisely."

The two Dark City Kindred looked at each other for a long moment. "Give us a chance to do a little digging," Max assured. "We'll see what we can find."

"Thank you," Krycek replied with dubious gratitude. They completed their business with the niceties that go along with an alliance forged out of necessity, and the Brujha went on his way leaving the two to themselves in the alley.

Grendel began thinking out loud, "He's got it figured right, ya know. This bullshit stretches well past our boarders. How long should we wait to tell him what he wants to know?"

The Toreador's expression was flat, "Only as long as it takes to make sure he isn't the one who orchestrated this mess."

* * *

Alex walked cautiously back into the club and surveyed the scene quickly. These places always seemed to have the innate ability of making a situation escalate fast—sometimes too fast. And in the short time he had been outside conducting business, this had proven to be the case.

When he left Mulder sitting at Exstasy's feet, he seemed to be a reasonable safe spectator... now he was the main event... 

He was shirtless before, but now the tailored wool pants were gone as well, replaced by a swathing of black silk that draped precariously across his hips. His eyes were hidden by a similar fragment of cloth... a good thing, too, because when Alex saw the current state of affairs, his presence became known in a hurry. 

He stopped a passing waiter and grabbed a pen and pad of paper from the tray he was carrying. He scribbled furiously then tore the sheet from the pad. "Where's Felix Knight?" he growled.

"The last time I saw him he was at the bar... sulking," the frightened server responded. 

He threw the pad and pen back onto the tray, and made his way over to the bar. Felix was easy to spot—black leather biker jacket and boots, dark sunglasses, openly displayed weaponry, and a pout a mile long. He was watching the show, but his eyes weren't on the prey strapped to the table. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the predator who put it there. The voice from behind him brought him back... 

"I have a job for you."

"Really? And who the hell are you?" The last word was nearly cut off by the forearm that wrapped itself around his throat. It wasn't the fear of suffocation, but rather the thought of having his head removed from his shoulders that made Felix go perfectly still.

"I would think that a Bruajha under my sire's command would know better than to piss off an unassessed opponent. " Krycek released his victim and spun him around on the barstool. "Like I said, I have a job for you... take this letter to the Seneschal. Give it to no one but her—understand?"

"Yeah... sure... but don't think we're finished here." 

Krycek watched Felix go out the door before returning to the night's entertainment. 

Who would ever have guessed that after just a couple of hours on a leash, Fox Mulder would end up strapped to a display table and become the palate for a painting in blood. Still there he lay, trying with every ounce of resistance in him to fight against the sensation of the sable-hair brush Ecstasy was drawing over his chest. The scarlet fluid that was slathered on his pale white skin made for a tempting morsel to any bloodsucker that saw him. 

"Eat-able art!" she exclaimed to the crowd, and then offered her newly finished masterpiece with a smile to the vamp beside her waiting for a taste. "I should have been a Toreador... " she mused.

Mulder felt the chill an instant before the vamp descended on his sensitized and heated skin. He struggled to remain perfectly still, but every once in a while, when he would feel the drag of a sharpened canine, a fright-filled gasp of satisfaction would escape.

Alex moved toward the performance arena, the fodder of the night parting as he approached, until he was standing nearly at the foot of the table. He watched as Mulder's tension-strained muscles stretched nearly to their breaking point... the magnificence of the body in torment kept his eyes locked on the sacrifice being offered to the gods of pleasure. Just one look and it could not be denied that, despite the fight his mind forced him to put up, Mulder's body wanted _craved?_ the ministrations of the hungry Kindred that surrounded him.

The eager vampire's tongue followed the last trail of vitae that ended just shy of the newly pierced nipple, where she planted a tender kiss. She suckled at the ring and tugged on the tag that hung from it and finally, when she pulled away, a moan could be heard from the bound mortal. "Merci, mon petit," she whispered into his ear. "That was one of the tastiest treats I've had in some time." She turned back to Exstacy and bestowed a small kiss of gratitude on her cheek. "Thank you, lovely. Fear and lust always add such a nice flavour... " she noted the delicately outlined form of Fox's erection... "and I do so like your choice of garnish." An affectionate little squeeze of the bulge as she continued her conversation, "You couldn't perhaps be coaxed into parting with such a pretty toy?"

Without allowing Exstasy a chance to answer, Krycek insinuated himself between them. He raised a finger to his lips instructing them to remain quiet, and then shook it from side to side. Even if the gesture left something ambiguous in its answer, the feral gleam in his eyes was answer enough to the silly vampire's question. So, with a simple smile, and no fuss, she bowed her head and backed away.

Alex stared down at the prone form of Fox Mulder, who had become quite nervous at not hearing a response to the earlier negotiation. He began to stroke the glistening torso, massaging each muscle, charming the body at his fingertips into a tenuous calm. A look of concentration contorted his angelic features to one of gluttonous rapture as he willed the blood in his body to rise to the surface, flushing his cheeks red and raising the temperature of his body till the heat could be felt coming off of him in waves.

He smiled at the thought _If he had_ any _idea whose hand just ran its way up his thigh..._. He turned a decadent smile on Exstacy and lifted his hand so she could see the single claw spring from his finger.

Mulder felt the sharpness touch the dip between his collarbones and begin its slide down from neck to navel. It wasn't so much pain as pleasure to feel the warm fluid begin to come to surface and trickle down his ribs, but when a searing tongue touched the base of the incision, his shriek silenced the crowd that watched. He pulled at his bonds wanting to touch whatever it was that brought his body so easily to the edge of orgasm, his back arching as far as the restraints would allow. 

He could feel the sting of the heat as the talented tongue wormed its way along the length of the open wound, sealing it with its touch and licking away all traces of the life force spilling from it. And when it was done, the aching in his cock was pure bliss.

Alex straightened back up and looked at Exstasy with a self-satisfied grin. _I always wondered what he tasted like._ Pulling her slightly to the side, he whispered in her ear. "Set him up as a display against the wall, and let him rest. He'll be going home soon."

* * *

Without exception, every one of Angelique Gabrielle's charity fundraisers was a gala event to which it was an honor to be invited. Up and down the street the limousines waited for their turn to pull up to the front entrance of The Plaza hotel. Power brokers, political figures, and celebrities... the country's financial and social elite all congregated to show the world their politically correct global consciousness. And the children of the world would be the ones to benefit from their inflated egos.

She had arrived in plenty of time to be sure all the details were tended to. Were the place cards in the proper order? Were the fresh cut flowers that filled the room in flawless arrangement? Did each piece of Baccarat crystal shine? Such were the minutiae that were not left to chance to ensure a perfect evening... and she reviewed each one herself. The local police and FBI agents in attendance, as far as the mortals present were concerned, took care of security measures. The fact that each one of the members of law enforcement was under the direct control of her clansman was something they need not know. 

One by one her guests made their grand entrances, each greeted personally in turn by their hostess. She greeted them all by name; she remembered each one in detail. "Eleanor, you look lovely. How's that beautiful daughter of yours doing in college? Such a pity she couldn't join us this evening." "Charles, I'm so glad you could make it. Has that golf swing improved any?"  
"Lord Conrad! Welcome! There's a platter of those chocolates you loved at last year's Memorial Day barbecue on the table over there... ." the secretive whisper, "but don't worry, I hid a plate of them for you in the kitchen." Such was the meaningless banter all designed to make each one feel like the guest of honor.

Each hand shake was a publicists dream... a picture in any tabloid of their client shaking hands with one the world's best know humanitarians was enough to skyrocket their client's TVQ, and no publicist worth his salt would pass up an opportunity like that.

Once the party was in full swing, she could fade into the crowd until it was time to convince her guests once again that they could be even more generous than they had intended. But that time would not come until a lot more bottles of champagne had been emptied So there she stood, smiling for the camera and waiting for the parade of beautiful people making beautiful faces to end, when the maitre 'd, cell phone in hand, came to whisper in her ear. "Mr. Crane for you, madam." 

"Thank you. Please see to it that the paparazzi outside are provided with some sort of refreshment—they're more agreeable when they have been fed." She took the phone and moved off into a semi-private corner. "Yes, Krane."

"Just wanted to let you know Morgan was on his way in... and he's bringing a guest." The thin edge of humor in his voice made her smile. _Well this is a surprise. Maybe this won't be such a dull night after all._

"Thanks for the warning. Please let me know when his car enters the garage." 

She wondered the room quietly until she felt a slight tug on her elbow and smooth, velvet voice followed. "A delightful event as usual, Baroness. But, then again, I've come to expect nothing less."

"Good evening, Cole," she responded affably. His tall, slender frame, was casual in his stance, but still held the distinct air of the socially privileged. Rich beyond the average man's wildest dreams, attractive to the eye, and charming to a fault, he would have been at the top of Cosmo's Most Eligible Bachelors list—if he had been mortal. 

To anyone watching, they were simply two people, completely comfortable with the extent of their financial resources, who had nothing better to do than trifle with the air of sex. "I'm happy to hear everything meets your demanding standards. And in what capacity do I have the honor of addressing you this evening?"

"Don't think of me as the Ventrue elder, my dear... think of me as—your date." The startled expression of amusement he was answered with prompted him to continue. "It came to my attention that you would be without a formal escort this evening... the Prince being otherwise occupied... it would be my pleasure to offer my services." The look on his face reminded her of a cat she used to have who would wait on her bedstand to see her face when she found the dead rat under the sheets. .

It had always been Morgan's custom to accompany his Seneschal to these events if for no other reason then to ensure her safety. Fame had painted a rather large target on her, and he refused to see her sacrificed in the service of anyone or anything other than himself. This night however, he had entrusted her keeping to his Scourge—Crane _...but he's just got to check up on me. You'd think I lived in fear for the centuries before I met him._

"Well, thank you for your concern, and I am grateful for the offer, but I think I can handle this austere congregation. I could, however, introduce you about, though I'm sure you know a few of the faces here."

"That would be lovely," and he extended his arm. "Shall we."

They toured the room speaking to this one and that, until a note on a silver tray was presented to her. "Excuse me a moment," as she turned her back on the conversation and headed toward the rear entrance to the ballroom. Out the door and down the stairs to garage entrance where the Doosenburg was just parking.

"I'm so pleased you could come!" the Baroness bubbled as she met them at the door of the car. Taking Scully into an affectionate embrace, she looked over her shoulder into the somber eyes of the Prince. 

She could see him open himself to her and, in an instant, read his concerns, _Why didn't you tell me this before?_ but put aside that conversation for another time. "Come inside," the Baroness continued, ushering Scully towards the door. "At least now I know I'll have someone worth talking to."

Dropping into step with Morgan a length behind the ladies, Crane began tugging at his collar. "I hate wearing this monkey suit. Sometimes I think you make me do this stuff just to watch me squirm."

"Think of it as armor in a different kind of battle," came Morgan's reply accompanied by a devilish smirk. "Make sure all the Kindred present know that I am here and have declared Elysium. I don't want any spectacles tonight."

"Consider it done."

They entered the party with a minimum of notice, and soon, Scully found herself surrounded by the rich and famous. She scanned passed the faces that graced the silver screen and album covers, then came to a dead stop. "That's a Supreme Court justice," she gasped in astonishment.

"Why, yes it is," chuckled her hostess. "I would introduce you, but he really is an arrogant bastard."

A member of the Presidential cabinet, Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, and then... "Oh my God," under her breath as she saw him.

Morgan stepped to her side, "What is it, Miss Scully?" 

"There, at the table near the statue in the center of the room... that's Senator Matheson." She looked closely, watching him talk to the tall, slender man on his left, "Is he... ?"

"No, he is not one of us, but the one he is speaking to is very old and very powerful," the Baroness explained. "He's just looking for some positive public exposure... it is an election year after all."

Scully turned sharply to face the three vampires. It was amazing how, even in the trappings of civilized society, she could see so clearly the savagery of the Beast within them. "He may recognize me. We've never met, but I'm certain he has reviewed my personnel file."

Crane stepped closer, "Why would he be interested in you?"

"Because he has been one of Mulder's benefactors since before I was assigned to the X-files. Senator Matheson has protected our work on several occasions... even pointed us in the right direction when he could. It seems logical that when I was assigned to work with Mulder, he would have researched my background."

"It's alright," Morgan assured in an even tone. "It's a very large party, so it's likely that he won't even notice you since he doesn't know you're here. We'll avoid him, but just in case, before he leaves tonight, we will eliminate any trace of you from his memories of this evening." A glance to Crane—a nod of agreement—and the matter was settled.

"Come, Miss Scully, the night is young," the Baroness offered, trying to lighten her guests fears. "Why don't you and Morgan go mingle—have a little fun." The stare of sarcasm from her Prince's eyes spoke volumes more than his words would have. "Oh, Morgan," she countered in uncharacteristic familiarity, "you can at least take her in to get something to eat... the poor thing must be starving."

He laughed with the kind of humor he rarely allowed to exist. The glib, "Yes, madam," was followed by a decidedly mocking, deep bow from the waist, and off they went.

Angelique the Prince and his guest merged into the crowd, then she noticed Crane pressing at his ear piece and listening intently. "I'll let her know," he said into the microphone in his sleeve.

"What now?" she asked with an inevitable sigh.

"It seems Felix Knight is at the front desk of the hotel and he says he has a message for you."

"I have a feeling I know what this is about. Would you ask Mike to bring the car around to the front entrance? I'll be back as quickly as I can."

* * *

No one seemed to notice when the limousine pulled up to the door of the club, that is till the lady in black velvet got out and walked inside. Walking directly to the rear of the room, the Baroness could barely stifle the chortle at seeing Mulder displayed against the wall like a piece of performance art. When she spotted Exstasy in the midst of her stable, she composed herself and donned her most matronly demeanor before clearing the herd with... "Ehem."

Exstasy straightened up in her chair, a look of penitence spreading quickly across her face. "Oh, hi, Angelique. What brings you by?"

"I got a message saying that our guest, you know the one mounted on your wall, was in a, and I quote, compromising position... I would say that's a slight understatement. I thought I told you to behave?" the wagging of her finger, though not seen, could be heard in every word out of her mouth.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear," the scolded vampire defended. "You told me to ask him if he wanted to be played with—weellll... ," a shrug of her shoulders and the smile of a teenager made the picture complete. "Turns out, he did."

"So you tagged him?" the Baroness threw back, flicking the sign of ownership with a perfectly manicured finger 

Angelique hung her head in defeat with a smile. There really was no arguing with the power of puberty—especially in its eternal form. "We are going to discuss this tomorrow, Ex. Bet on it." She turned to the flunkies on the floor, "Turn him loose."

He sagged heavily as they lowered him from his perch, but when they set him down he could still stand on his own. "You didn't give him anything, did you?" the Baroness asked sharply.

"NO WAY!" came the denial. "Come on, I'm not that stupid! He's just tired - that and our friend," Exstasy threw her head in the direction of the bar, "made a suggestion that he rest."

The Baroness looked over and saw him sitting on one barstool with his feet propped up on another. "Mike, could you take him out to the car. I just need to talk to someone."

"No problem," he replied and went to take hold of Mulder. When walking proved a slow process he turned back to the Seneschal, "It would be easier if I just carried him," his tone waiting for the go-ahead.

"Sure," she said with a smile. "Thanks, Mike."

She watched as Mulder was hoisted up like a rag doll over Mike's shoulder and then carried out the door. When they were gone she turned her attention to the smug night crawler at the bar. "I'm sorry if things got a bit out of hand this evening. Exstasy was just trying to show him a good time."

"hmph... it worked. Where are you gonna take him?"

"I have to return to The Plaza, so I can't take him back to the house... back to the apartment where you're staying, I suppose. Unless that's an issue?"

"No... I think that's a good idea. It's time he knew I was here." The wistful tone in his voice caught her off guard.

"Alex, is there something about this mortal you need to tell me?" She was tender and open and caring—everything a creature of the night wasn't supposed to be.

He let his feet drop off the stool and turned his back on her to lean on the bar. She saw the irreverent facade he carried fade just for an instant, and then the strength of his offensive hit her full force as he spun back and faced her squarely. "Before I was Embraced, I worked for the FBI, and he and I were partners. Let's just say it ended badly."

"I know there is more to it than that, but I also know this is not the place to discuss it. I'll send a car for you tomorrow at7pm. You and I need to have a very long talk." She waited for him to object, but instead she saw a nod of agreement. "Good. I'll get Agent Mulder settled before you get home." And then she left him to his thoughts.

Before heading to the car she stopped to say good night to Exstasy. "Do me a favor, Ex? Make sure anyone he feeds on before he leaves here is clean—I want his head clear when he leaves tonight."

  
"No worries, Baroness. I picked up a new tasty treat the other day... I'm always happy to share," Exstacy replied with her flippant trademark smile.

* * *

The executive class limousine pulled up slowly to the brightly-lit glass atrium that served as a private entrance to this upscale high rise. The driver came around the car to open the door and extended a hand to the woman in the back seat. When the Baroness was safely out of the way, he reached back in to heft the limp form of Fox Mulder out of the car. "Thanks, Mike. Please wait in the car... I'll only be a few minutes."

For the kind of money the staff of this facility was paid, silence was unquestionably part of the job description, so when the seemingly sedated man was led to the waiting elevator by a leash, not one word was said.

When the doors had slid securely shut behind them, she inserted a special card key that would allow the elevator to travel to the penthouse floor, then turned to Mulder and smiled. "I think we can do without this now," she said letting the leather strap fall to the front of his body. 

"Would they have hurt me?" he asked cautiously.

"Perhaps... but that's not to say you wouldn't have enjoyed it." The sly look on her face made him uncomfortable... made him feel as if she knew the dark secrets he guarded with his life. "From what Exstacy tells me, you didn't really put up much of a fight. But nevertheless, she should have known better... you should have, too." She chuckled, shaking her head with the humor of it all, and exited as the doors of the car opened to an expensive, open room surrounded by windows. 

The lights of the city were bright enough to light up the room without help, but the candles seated in the free-standing candelabras around the room did add a comforting, warm glow as they were lit one by one by the servant who had entered the room quietly. She was frail, but by no means fragile; she looked to be about 25 years old, but somehow held the air of someone who had seen more than her years. She was pretty, but it was the serenity of her face that made her beautiful. When the candles were all burning, she opened the doors that led out to the balcony, allowing the mild breeze of an Indian summer night to pervade the room, then waited for instructions.

"I have no idea what came over me... it felt like... that is not the way I behave!" he declared to the composed figure who had made herself comfortable on the plush leather sofa.

"Have a seat, Fox... I think it is time you understood something." And as he sat, she rose and approached her servant standing in the center of the room. Even as the edge of her full, velvet skirt brushed by him, his own body began to betray him once again. "You see Elizabeth here; does she look even remotely afraid of me? Or does she somehow seem glad that I've returned?"

Mulder observed the dainty figure as the Baroness trailed the tips of her fingers across the short expanse of her chest and circled around to stand behind her. The slight tremble, the quick stabs of her pink tongue coming out to wet suddenly parched lips... the signs were unmistakable. And if there had been any doubts remaining, they were eliminated by the sound of hunger coming from the still form when the Baroness placed a small kiss on her neck.

"Is it starting to make sense yet, Fox?" she asked, but her attention was still focused on Elizabeth. "This sweet girl is a willing participant in this game of survival all Kindred must play. Some chose to feed on the helpless, some chose to feed and kill—I will only feed on those who are willing. And I dare say, they are well compensated for their gift to me." Without another word, she wrapped her arms around the supplicant's waist and allowed the woman to lean her head back on her shoulder till the vulnerable neck was given up as an offering.

Angelique looked up to meet the gaze of the man on the couch. As enraptured as the servant in her arms, he couldn't have looked away if he tried. "What do you see, Fox? Is it sexual? Or maybe it's more than that... "

He couldn't answer. He couldn't take his eyes off the woman... her breath shallow, head cast back wantonly as if waiting for some long sought after reward.

Slowly, the Baroness lowered her head till her mouth came to rest against the fiery skin hiding the vitae that sustained her. She looked up at him from under the cover of her lashes; the blazing glow of her eyes the only warning before the strike.

When her fangs appeared and pierced the quivering throat, it was the scream of pleasure that knocked him to his knees. And there he stayed—completely focused on the supple young body arching back into the touch of her master's mouth. It was erotic and exciting and repulsive. It was everything he'd ever wanted to feel and everything he was afraid of. 

She pulled away; her cheeks flushed red with the new life coursing through her body. The only remaining evidence of the encounter was the expression of spent bliss on the servant's face and a single drop of her blood resting on the corner of the Baroness's mouth. 

She laid the girl down on the floor gently and took the few steps that brought her before the man kneeling submissively on the ground. Crouching down to his eye level, she moved in close enough for him to feel the heat coming off of her lips and offered him the remaining drop of vitae. When his tongue flickered out and glided along the line of her bottom lip, she could feel the tremors of his body through that single point of contact. And when he reached the thick scarlet drop, he forgot that, even though she didn't need to breathe, he did.

"You feel it, don't you, Fox. You feel that pull in the bottom of your stomach? I didn't put that there." Her eyes sparkled with a knowing gleam. "You may not behave that way, but right now, you'd like to," and with a kiss she left him.

She returned to Elizabeth and lifted her like a sleeping child before she looked back to the confused man still on the floor. "In the bedroom down the hall you'll find some clothes that should fit you. Why don't you go put something on, then we can see about helping you understand this a bit better," and then disappeared down the opposite hall to put her breathing life force to bed.

He waited until he was sure his legs would carry his weight and then walked to the end of the hall. Opening the door slowly, he looked around the elegantly furnished room. It was obvious that someone was staying here, but just who was yet be discovered.

He walked over to the large oak wardrobe in the corner of the room and opened the doors—a section of drawers to the left, to the right clothes hanging neatly. He flipped through the hangers one at a time until he came across a patch of soft leather and pulled out the jacket. Old, worn, and comfortable... it was someone's favorite jacket, that much was certain. It even looked familiar.

He thought he was alone in this room—that is until he heard the low, whisper soft timber in his ear. "Bet it would look great on you."

Mulder wanted to turn, started to if fact, but when he felt the solid wall of chest behind him, he froze "I don't care what episode of the Twilight Zone I've been living in, you can't be here."

"Come on, Mulder. You of all people should know that anything can happen in the Twilight Zone." Alex reached around Mulder's statue still body and took the jacket from his hands. He brought it back between them and began to ease the confused man's arms into the sleeves.

"What are you doing, Krycek?" he knew trying to sound intimidating at this point really just made him sound ridiculous, but he had to try. He knew he failed when he _heard_ Krycek smile.

"I'm trying to prevent the onset of shock. What were you doing in my closet?" not moving from his deliciously close proximity to Mulder's bare, not to mention well defined, back.

"Angelique sent me in here to... _your_ closet?" Mulder stammered in reply. "Who... how do you... I don't even know how to begin to ask these questions," he conceded with frustration. He felt the chill of Alex's body leave him, and finally bolstered the nerve to turn around.

And there he was... the arrogant cocky bastard. The insolent grin, the pretentious air of his stance... the stone cold glare of his eyes... Mulder took it all in and felt the rage begin to rise inside him. "I could kill you now."

"I'll take that bet. Don't you think you should start asking a few questions... get your facts straight before you start shooting off your mouth."

"You son of a bitch... " If asked, he would never be able to tell you what made him lunge forward in attack, but when he felt Alex's hand wrap around his neck and lift him off the ground, he began to wonder himself.

With a few effortless steps, Alex had his chosen ward pinned to the wall, feet still dangling off the ground, when he heard her voice from the doorway.

"I see Exstacy isn't the only one who needs to learn how to play nicely with others. Perhaps you should put him down now, Alex." The Baroness was cautious, but nevertheless amused. It seemed that nether death or age could do anything to quell the male need to compete.

Mulder's body slid down the wall till his feet rested back on solid ground. And when Alex took his hand away and stepped back, he nearly followed... but not with the same intent he'd had before. 

Angelique watched, as the two of them stared at each other... neither one willing to yield to the other by looking away. "Fox?" she called to him, but still his eyes never wavered. "Remember that pull in your stomach you felt before... I know you're feeling it again I want to help you understand it."

She knew he heard every word, but his focus now was on the green-eyed night crawler less than five feet away. "We are a seductive breed... " and suddenly she realized it was no longer a battle of wills, it was a fight for dominance - and Mulder was losing. She reached out with her mind to Krycek... 

"Alex, don't."  
"Why not?"  
"Because this way, you won't make an ally, you'll make a slave."

She waited till the strength of his posture began to soften and he sat down heavily on the bed. Suspicious to the bitter end, Mulder dug in his heels and waited in vain for the other shoe to drop. He waited, but when it became evident that no information would be forth coming, he turned back to the window in the corner and stared out into the night.

"What is he doing here?" he asked with an air of acceptance. _Why can't I get away from this guy..._

He felt the glide of her hand across his back and then the scrape of her nails across the nape of his neck. He twisted under her touch, wanting more but fighting it every step of the way.

Reassurance seemed to take on a tangible form in her voice. "It's because of Alex that you're here and you're safe. I think he should tell you the rest; I have a party I need to return to, but you can have Elizabeth call me if need be." She turned on her heels and strode toward the door. As an after thought, "Agent Mulder, would you like me to send the car back for you?"

He leaned against the windowpane, letting it support him, the exertion of the night taking its toll and showing across every inch of his face. "No," he responded as he turned to look into the pliant, hopeful face of Alex Krycek. "I think I'd better stay here tonight."

_Maybe they will learn to play nicely with each other_ she mused. "Very well... I'll have Miss Scully informed."

"NO!" the two voices sounded in unison. It could have been the smirk on her face, but it was probably the eyebrow shooting up that begged the question demanding an answer.

Looking back to Alex, Mulder gave quiet voice to his thoughts, "I think I'd better get the facts straight before I start shooting off my mouth." Then looking down at his state of undress, he added, "And maybe put on a pair of pants." 

* * *

Classification: XF/Kindred x-over; this is a WIP and the next chapter is already in the works; you will need to read the first two parts to understand what's going on here. Parts I and II can be found at [http://www.squidge.org../niff/niff.htm](http://od-import.transformativeworks.org/terma/niff/niff.htm)  
Rating: finally worthy of an NC-17 (is that angels I hear singing?)  
Author's Notes: Okay... I know this took forever, and to those who are still interested—thank you for being patient. Sue, Nic, Frankie... thank you for all your help and encouragement. This wouldn't have gotten finished at all if it wasn't for you. Aries, I promised you blood—you got blood .  
The vampire characters in this story come from a live action role play game. If you have any interest in knowing more about the game go to <http://www.tiac.net/users/crucifix/index1.htm>  
Disclaimer: The characters you recognize belong to CC, 1013 Productions, and Fox. I have no claim to them and am making no money from this (damn).  
All other characters belong to the people from Dark City who created them and have been used with their permission. Thanks guys! I hope I did you justice.  
  
Feedback: [email removed]   
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	4. Survival of the Species IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you break Kindred law?

  
**Survival of the Species IV  
by Niffusa**

  
Reassurance seemed to take on a tangible form in her voice. "It's because of Alex that you're here and you're safe. I think he should tell you the rest; I have a party I need to return to, but you can have Elizabeth call me if need be." She turned on her heels and strode toward the door. As an afterthought, "Agent Mulder, would you like me to send the car back for you?" 

He leaned against the windowpane, letting it support him, the exertion of the night taking its toll and showing across every inch of his face. "No," he responded as he turned to look into the hopeful face of Alex Krycek. "I think I'd better stay here tonight." 

Maybe they will learn to play nicely with each other, she mused. "Very well... I'll have Miss Scully informed." 

"NO!" the two voices sounded in unison. It could have been the smirk on her face, but it was probably her eyebrow shooting up that begged the question demanding an answer. 

Looking back to Alex, Mulder gave quiet voice to his thoughts, "I think I'd better get the facts straight before I start shooting off my mouth." Then looking down at his state of undress, he added, "And maybe put on a pair of pants." 

"I don't know about that... personally, I like the view," she replied with a smile as she turned and left the room. 

Chuckling the whole way, Alex walked over to the wardrobe, pulled out a pair of sweats, and threw them to the almost naked man. "Those should fit you fine." _Leather jacket, no shirt, loose sweats... good look for you, Mulder._ Not wanting to waste any more energy, he simply dropped on the floor and leaned back on the heavy wooden chest. "Okay, Mulder... let it rip." 

"What?!" Mulder asked incredulously as he tied the drawstring on the pants. 

"Oh knock it off! There is actual physical proof of the paranormal sitting right in front of you. You've had about five thousand questions running through your head since you got here—now's your chance to get the answers. If I were you, I'd take advantage of the opportunity... It may not come along again." Alex tilted his head back and shut his eyes. He knew it was going to take Mulder a little time to adjust to the new dynamic between them, but he also knew that eventually the agent's thirst for information would eventually overshadow over his hatred. And then the inevitable... 

"Did you kill my father?" 

"Here we go... " Alex sighed and settled back to get this over with. "Yes," he said in a simple, matter of fact tone, "but that wasn't my intention in going there. I was there that night, but only to prevent him from giving you information that would have cost you your life. When he walked into the bathroom, I was going to 'influence' him not to tell you anything." 

"So how did he wind up _dead_?" He was growing impatient with the benign tone in Krycek's voice. 

"I was waiting in the shower, and I was armed—but only to keep him quiet till we finished. He tried to get the gun away from me... It was an accident, Mulder. He wasn't supposed to die." Alex finally opened his eyes and locked his gaze with the stunned man standing in front of him. 

With a graceless slump, Mulder allowed his body to fall on to the bed. "How can I believe you? After what you've done?" he asked, knowing full well in his heart that Alex spoke the truth. "You let Scully be taken... you lied to me." His mind's desperate search for something it could hold on to was clear in every part of his being. 

"I have no reason to lie to you, Mulder. There's nothing you can do to hurt me and there's nothing you have that I want." For a moment Alex seemed almost human. 

"In the interest of saving time, allow me to tell you a story... Once there was a relatively naïve and idealistic student at the FBI training academy. All he wanted was to make the world a better place for mankind, but then the evil ruler of the underworld came to him and showed him that if something wasn't done, there would be no more world and no more mankind. The young student believed the story he was being told because, well let's face it, the evil man could be very convincing when he wanted to be." 

"Cut to the chase, Krycek... what are you trying to tell me here?" Mulder was exhausted. The day had taken too much out of him to be able to mentally spar with this man or beast or whatever the hell he was. Not to mention the fact that it was taking every last remaining ounce of strength he had left not to eliminate the physical distance between them. 

"What I'm trying to tell you, Mulder, is that you've got me pegged wrong. Genius profiler my ass... you've had me all wrong from the start." There was a look of resignation on his face that made his words almost believable. "I didn't go into this line of work on purpose. Saving the world wasn't what I expected to be doing with my life—at least not at this level I was young and I was misled... and then I met Crane." 

A mental image of the Prince's Scrouge flashed through Mulder's mind. And suddenly, as ridiculous as it sounded, he could see the family resemblance. The sharp lines of his jaw, the swagger in his gait when he walked, the attitude that radiated from him a warning to the world not to even think of crossing him... 

"Crane saw the same potential in me that our black lunged friend saw—the difference was that Crane gave me the choice of what to do with it. He taught me things I never would have had the opportunity to learn otherwise—and then he offered me the Embrace." 

Mulder searched the face of his nemesis for any sign of emotion, but there was none to be found. He could have been talking about any mundane experience, but the fact was, he was talking about immortality. "And you accepted it." 

The rhetorical question hung in the air for a long, awkward moment until Alex stood up and walked to the edge of the bed. He looked into the mystified face below him and didn't even bother trying to restrain the urge to reach out and smooth the back of his hand across the stubbled cheek. "I accepted it because I knew it would give me the advantage against them in taking care of you." _Enough hiding._ He crouched down, his hands resting lightly on Mulder's thighs, and said it again—"I needed to be able to protect you." 

He watched Mulder close his eyes and shake his head, trying to clear the surge of conflicting emotions running through him. "Protect me?" Mulder asked softly. 

"Yes... they'd wanted you dead for a long time... you became to much of a threat... I've been able to stop them—till now." The faltering tone in his voice pinned Mulder's attention. 

"What's different now?" he asked almost fatalistically. 

"This time it isn't a mortal that wants you dead... That's why I had you brought here. Here you can be protected while I figure out how to eliminate the threat." 

Mulder's body tensed. "But if it isn't a mortal than who?" a touch of hysteria seeping into the agent's voice. 

"That's a conversation for another day. Right now you need to get some rest... " Krycek stood, made his way up to the head of the bed, and began turning down the sheets. 

Mulder stood and stalked up behind Alex, fury coloring his cheeks. "Another day?! Are you nuts?!" He grabbed Alex by the shoulder and turned him till they were face to face. "You can't just tell me that something out there is trying to kill me and then say we'll discuss it later!" 

Alex's face turned to stone; his words cold as ice. "The fact is, Mulder, that I don't know where the threat is coming from. But the attack on Scully the other night proves me right... You're in danger." Then suddenly—surprisingly—he began to soften. He raised one hand to Mulder's waist, the other to the back of his neck. He caressed the tightened jaw line with the pad of his thumb, "Don't worry... I'll find whoever it is." 

The nearness of Krycek's body was wreaking havoc on Mulder's concentration. He wanted to hold onto his anger for dear life, but being this close to the cool, unbreakable body of his enemy was melting it away with every passing second. He pushed himself away, and nearly ran to the other side of the room. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked himself out loud. He knew that Alex had the answer, and, as soon as he felt the Kindred's presence behind him, he knew he would get it. 

"The Baroness tried to tell you before... we're a seductive breed. Something about the very nature of our kind attracts mortals to us. We can amplify or minimize the effects, but we can never turn it off completely. And if the mortal is attracted anyway, it's that much harder for him to resist." Inches from Mulder's back, he stood perfectly still and waited. 

_Of course!_ "You son of a bitch! You've been fucking with my head this whole time! Come on, Krycek... isn't there some gaggle of vampire worshipers out there you can get your kicks with? Or won't _they_ even have a bastard like you?" Words, like poison-tipped darts, shot from his mouth, but still he lacked the courage to turn around, knowing the face of an angel would be there to greet him. Lucifer was an angel once, too, he thought to himself trying to solidify his resolve. 

_You're so fucking predictable, Mulder._ "Oh no you don't... Not this time I've let you beat me till you exhausted yourself... I've let you blame me for everything that's ever happened to you just so you could sleep at night... I've saved your ass more times than you will ever know. But this is one thing you are going to take responsibility for whether you like it or not!" He stepped forward till his body was pressed to the agent's leather clad back. With just enough force to show him that there was no way out of it, he held Mulder's arms down at his sides and nuzzled into the soft hair at the nape of his neck. 

"Don't." Mulder hissed through gritted teeth. 

"Don't what, Fox? Make you admit what you've always denied? That is, always denied to everyone else. Remember... I've been watching you for a very long time without you ever having a clue." The rough edges of his voice sent shivers up and down the mortal's spine, and when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and brushed against his cheek, Alex knew that he'd gotten through. "You're starting to think now... think about all those times alone in your apartment when you would stroke yourself—sometimes softly, sometimes with so much force, it was the pain that made you come. But the one thing that always stayed the same was the name you would scream when the cum shot out of your body—my name." His hand pressed against the front of Fox's pelvic bone, feeling the strain of the fabric covering what had to be an already painful erection—then the thrust of his hips against the tender flesh of the sweetest ass he'd ever seen, showing his interest just as clearly. 

Mulder wanted to deny it, wanted to push away from the fantasy that was holding him tightly, but all he could manage was one word, "No," in something lower than a whisper. 

"Do you know how hard it was for me, Fox?" he continued, grinding himself into the supple flesh of Mulder body. "Do you have any idea how hard it was not to step out of the shadows and touch you the way I knew you wanted me to?" He turned his captive around in his arms and reached up to cup his face in strong, callused hands. "Look at me and tell me you don't want this Tell me now and I'm gone—you'll never have to see me again." 

"I don't... " 

"Look at me! Look me in the eye and say it!" 

Raising his eyes to the sea of green burrowing holes into his soul, Mulder yielded himself to the fact, "I don't want you to go." He held his breath, afraid of what was to come. But when he felt the brush of hungry lips against his own, the tidal wave he had been holding back broke through. He wrapped his arms around the incarnation of his desire, and holding back nothing, he kissed Alex Krycek. He kissed him with his mouth, with his hands, with the body that slid up and down the length of him—he kissed him with his heart. 

As they broke apart, Mulder cursed his need to breathe and began removing the barrier of clothes that kept him from the flesh he craved. "I need you... I need to feel you." He tugged Alex's shirt from his jeans, and with a violent pull, yanked it over his head. When he felt the heat of Alex's skin, he stopped - uncertain of what was happening. "How?" 

Alex smiled, weakly. "That's for you... we can make our skin give off heat if we want to—it just uses up a lot of energy. If I keep it up for too long then I'll have to feed again sooner." 

"No... I don't... " the confusion contorted his face beautifully. "I want you—the real you. I don't want anything between us that isn't real." He felt the heat dissipate and the cold reclaim Alex's body. The chill of his touch sent a jolt of electricity straight to Mulder's dick. 

"Is this what you want? Cold, hard flesh?" Alex asked, disbelieving. 

"What I want is you... whatever that may be." He dropped his hand to touch the rigid muscle still covered by black denim, "And I want a little less clothing involved," he said, a decadent smile curling his lips. 

Alex reached out and pulled at the knot of the drawstring on Mulder's sweats and watched as they fell to the floor and Mulder stepped out of them. With a determined rip, the black silk that had draped across the mortal's hips sailed across the room and fluttered silently to the floor. When Mulder began to pull the jacket off, he felt a cold hand wrap around his own. "Leave it on." Mulder didn't dare argue. 

Naked except for his covering of leather, Mulder dropped to his knees. A timid hand reached up to the button of Alex's waistband and waited for permission to continue. 

"Take what you want, Fox." His voice was direct and hungry. "Despite the events earlier tonight, not all of us want to be served... some of us want to be taken." _After all, the greatest control is in submission._

Attacking each button in turn, then yanking the jeans down to his knees, Mulder saw what had fed his flights of the imagination for years. He moved forward and allowed the tip of his tongue to carefully measure the length in front of him from base to head, the unheated, solid muscle feeling perfectly natural to him. He smiled at the irony of it all, then forced all other thoughts from his mind as he engulfed Alex's cock in the vicious heat of his mouth. 

A paradox of sensation—fiery heat on frigid cold—sent Alex reeling, nearly knocking him off balance. He thrust himself wildly against the burning tongue; the only instinct left in him was to pound into the heat that threatened to consume him. One hand in the silky brown hair, the other gripping the leather collar furiously, he growled, wanting more—more of the ludicrously lush lips around his cock, more of Fox's warm human flesh against his own. 

Fox pulled away and sat back with a smile. Lifting one foot then the other onto his thigh, he removed Alex's boots and left the worn denim in a heap beside him. With one finally swipe of his tongue, he followed his hands up the defined lines of his new lover's body—memorizing his form by touch. It was amazing how the reality seemed to match the perfection his mind's eye had painted Alex Krycek out to be. Then the thought hit him; "It was you, wasn't it? At the club... it was you that cut me," he visibly shivered, his cock hardening mercilessly at the memory of the hot tongue that sealed the freshly opened wound. 

Alex couldn't keep his hands still. He brushed his fingertips around the open face staring at him. "I wanted to know what you tasted like... what it would feel like to have your life on my lips." Slipping his arms inside the jacket and around Mulder's waist, he pulled him in tightly against his own body. 

"And what did I taste like?'" Mulder asked in-between the kisses being feathered across his lips and down his neck. 

"Like every daydream I've ever had in my life," Alex said, grinding himself in earnest against the feverish flesh in his arms. "It was the essence of you - strength, honesty, pain... everything you are." 

Mulder turned inside the welcome prison and, keeping Alex's arms securely in place, maneuvered them back to the bed. He crawled under the sheets that Alex had already turned down, bringing his lover with him, and snuggled back on the nest of pillows behind him. "In that case, don't you think it's time we evened the score." And without warning he pounced, pinning Alex beneath him, tasting the flesh wherever his mouth roamed. He found a spot he especially liked just inside the curve where neck met shoulder, and bit as fiercely as he could into the vampire. 

"NO!" Alex roared as he bolted upright, seizing Mulder's two wrists in one hand and pushing him up onto his knees. He felt the sweetly thick fluid seep slowly from the wound and trickled down toward his chest. "Mulder, you don't understand the effect this could have on you! Take too much of my blood and some the changes will be permanent... I can't—I won't let you do that until you know all the risks." 

"Shhhh, baby it's okay," he soothed. "I just wanted to taste you." He leaned forward, kissing the anger away. He moved around so that his lips barely touched the night-crawlers ear, "I just wanted to take you inside me in every way there is," the tickle of his breath drawing an unchecked moan from his target. "Please, Alex... just this one taste." 

Alex allowed the tongue that had begun tracing intricate patterns on his neck to continue moving closer and closer to the trail of red down his chest and his grip loosened. Though Fox made attempt to withdraw his hands from the restraint, instead, he pushed forward forcing Alex back against the pillows. When he finally reached his goal, Mulder began to lap and suck on the blood—feeding on it like a starving man—licking away all traces and leaving no evidence behind, each crimson drop sending a surge of power through his body. His lover lay back, willingly at his mercy, groaning with the pleasure of his talented tongue sliding along the plane of his chest. He worked his way up the thin red line savoring the sharp flavor, till he reached its source. The angry red bite mark was still bleeding slightly and Mulder lapped at it greedily. 

The sudden suction on his wound brought Alex's hand swiftly to Mulder's throat. He pushed back with just enough pressure to make Fox fully aware of the grip that could snap his neck. "What part of NO don't you understand?" he growled. 

The contrite expression, so typically Mulder, was immediate. "I'm... " he began, "I can feel it—inside me. I can feel you." He descended on Alex's mouth with a vengeance, plunging his tongue deep within, wrestling its mate for control. "Fuck me," he said, his mouth never losing the contact it craved. 

Without another word, Alex reached into the jacket pocket and pulled out a small tube. Taking Mulder's hand from his chest, he flicked the cap open and squeezed some of the contents into the open palm. He let out a slow hiss as he felt the slick gel being smoothed up and down the length of his shaft. When he couldn't wait a moment longer, he lifted Mulder by the waist and brought him down soundly - impaling him unprepared on his cock. Fox's scream of agony was like a symphony in his ears. The cold of the vampire's skin soothed the burning as he thrust inside over and over again. As the momentary pain turned to something indescribable, each moan of pleasure that followed, an aria of the sweetest sounds Alex had ever heard. 

"Ahhhhh... FUCK!" came the howl from the mortal. "Come here," he snarled as he grabbed Alex by the back of the neck and pulled him up till he could wrap his legs around behind him. 

Krycek reached one hand up and grabbed a handful of Mulder's hair. Pulling down, he forced the body above him to bow back and push itself down harder, grinding their hips together. 

Mulder was arched so far back that his head was almost touching the mattress when he felt Alex's strong arms wrap around him. Before he realized what was happening, he was pinned beneath a blanket of stone cold muscle. 

The slow, deliberate pull and thrust of his hips was torture to his captive. Alex leaned his upper body up just enough to see the look of pure, animalistic need that possessed every aspect of Mulder's features—right down to the savagery contorting the once graceful lines of his mouth. With each push forward, he pulled Mulder up by the waist—hard—increasing the force of his penetration. "Is this what you wanted, Fox?" he panted as his cock methodically pounded into the hot, velvet grip of Mulder's body. 

Mulder barred his teeth and tightened his legs around Alex's waist, the beast he was becoming prepared to strike. In a voice that was controlled, but only on the surface, he issued his command... "HARDER." 

Alex could feel the muscles coiling beneath him, and braced for the attack he knew would follow _if I can just push him a little farther_. "Make me," he taunted. 

Putting all his weight behind it and keeping his legs locked tightly around his lover, Mulder pushed on Alex's shoulder with the yell a demon possessed. Smiling evilly, Alex landed on his back. 

Instinct taking control, there was no stopping the torrent of need that consumed any rational thought Mulder may have had. He did the only thing his caged mind would allow him to do. Wrapping both hands around his own cock and stroking violently, he began to screw himself down as hard as possible on the rigid shaft beneath him. His strong, runner's legs were bent at the knees and lay on either side of Alex's body, and with nothing but the strength of them, he lifted himself up only to crash violently back down over and over again bringing him right to the edge. 

Alex watched, enraptured by the sight. Fox Mulder... no holds barred. "That's it, Fox. Take what you want," punctuating his sentiment by meeting Fox's body thrust for thrust. 

Slowly, as if a dimmer switch was gradually being turned, Mulder's eyes began to glow—red, untamed, shining bright enough to set his face aglow and then returned to the beautifully human hazel. He slammed his body downward one last time and held his lover perfectly still by the force of his hips. He felt the power surging through his veins, felt the inhuman strength radiate through every nerve ending. "No," he said softly, one syllable containing enough menace to scare the Kindred below him. With one fluid motion, he lifted himself up and laid himself back against the pillows at the head of the bed. Alex propped himself on his elbow and watched the languid flow of flesh that lay sprawled bonelessly before him. Instantly his body reacted when he heard Mulder's next command... "Kneel," Mulder said. "Here." He pointed to the mattress between his legs, and Alex obeyed immediately. 

He felt the intensity of Alex's stare cutting back all the layers of inhibitions it had taken him a lifetime to construct, laying bare the solitary place where nothing but sensation exists. 

In his mind, his thoughts raced, remembering the images of the servant the Baroness held in her arms earlier. The look on her face of rapture—she had been transfigured into everything sex aspired to be—this is what his body coveted. Curling his elbows under his knees, he lifted himself into the air. "Slide your dick back inside me—slowly—and don't move." 

Alex's body moved with a purpose, his eyes never straying from the bond they had formed with Mulder's, and he leveled his cock at the entrance to his lover. With measured and deliberate precision, he pushed inside, driving Mulder mad one rock hard inch at a time, until he was fully sheathed in the convulsive heat. And then he waited. 

"Now show me what you used to cut me at the club." Though the tone in this mortal's voice left no room for argument, a look of confusion passed over his Kindred beloved's face. "Do. It. Now." 

Hesitantly, Alex lifted his hand in front of him, and Mulder watched as the delicate finger transformed into the savage claw of the animal he knew hid behind the tempting green eyes that hovered above him. 

The hot, pliant flesh of Mulder's hand wrapped around Alex's wrist and pulled until the temporal form of his obsession pressed down against him. He brought the razor sharp claw to his face and nuzzled his cheek into the cleft of the palm. He kissed and nipped at the cool soft skin of Alex's wrist, seemingly transported to a place of pure delight, as he contracted and released the muscles surrounding Alex's cock. 

"Fox?" he moaned—a question or a plea was uncertain, but at least Mulder knew Alex's mind was just as clouded by lust as his own. 

"Shhhh... not a sound," he murmured. "I'm taking what I want." The wicked smile that curled his decadent mouth should have made Alex nervous, but he couldn't seem to bring his thoughts back from watching the patterns Mulder's tongue was tracing across his skin or the feel of Mulder's ass clamping down around him. 

With the vampire's wrist still locked in his grip, he drew Alex's hand down the curve of his own cheek and moaned as he felt the light scratches burn his flesh. Bringing the talon-tipped digit to his lips, he drew it slowly to his mouth - using it to trace the outline of his lips—then inside the wet, warm cavern. He sucked down, not with the blinding lust he was feeling, but gently, careful of the cutting edge that his tongue and lips stroked... careful, until he brutally pulled it from his mouth. 

"What are you... ?" Alex stammered as he jerked back. He saw the blood smeared across Fox's mouth, and suddenly felt every bit of the fear that he should have felt from the start. He started to pull away, but his wrist was still caught in the vice of the mortal's grip and Mulder's other hand had come around beneath his ass to keep the lower half of his body right where it was. Though he could have broken free without effort, it was more than Fox's touch that kept him in place. And then, the mouth was there, a breath away from his own. He could feel the moist breath heaving from Mulder's lungs against his face, could smell the fragrance of the freshly let blood _Mulder's blood_... "This isn't some sort of blood sport, Mulder I am not Kristen. I _am_ what she pretended to be. You're playing with a force you couldn't begin to understand." 

For a moment, Mulder dropped all pretense, opening himself to the danger radiating from every inch of Krycek's body. "Read me, Alex. I know you can. Read me and tell me if I'm playing a game." _How do you seduce seduction itself? You offer it what it wants most._ "I want you to kiss me. I want to watch you taste me... see your face when you taste my life." 

"I know I should have, but I didn't feed before I left the club. If I taste you now, I may not be able to stop." He was vibrating with hunger and the desire to claim this man who was offering himself to satisfy that hunger. 

Alex wanted to draw back, but it was too late for his better judgement to reign him in. Instead he began the slow pull and thrust of his hips that had driven his lover wild just a short time ago. His face the mask of a predator as he stared into the eyes of his prey. 

Mulder dropped back on the pillows behind him, moaning with the pleasure of feeling Alex move inside him. But this wasn't what he really wanted; he knew it could be so much better than this. He placed his hands at Alex's waist and tried to still his motion as he begged, "Alex... no... please stop." 

When Alex pulled out to the tip, leaving just the head of his shaft inside the writhing mortal, he nearly laughed. _Have your cake and eat it, too, Mulder?_ "What do you really want, Fox?" he asked, just before he rammed back inside hard enough to lift Mulder from the bed. Then he did it again... and again... and again, each time drawing a scream from the target of his assault. Suddenly, the human retaliated and pressed his glistening red mouth hard against that of the hungry Kindred. One taste of his lover's blood was enough to break his tenuous control. 

He pounded into Mulder, harder and faster, as he lapped at the blood in his mouth - kissing him senseless and bringing him to the very edge of sanity. When there was no vitae remaining, he moved his mouth around to the same spot Mulder had selected to bleed him, and began nipping at his neck. "GOD! YES! FUCK ME!" Mulder's cries urged him on, and with a growl that started deep in his chest, Alex bared his fangs, showing his true nature, and stared straight into the eyes of his beloved. 

"You know what I want," Mulder pleaded, "do it! DO IT NOW!" 

The blinding flash as the fangs sank into his neck took Mulder to a place that, even in his wildest fantasies—his most powerful orgasms—he had never been. His mind and his body reeled out of control as he felt Alex thrusting into his body while his mouth was drawing the life from his veins, until finally something inside him snapped... 

He was coming—harder than he had ever come before, begging Alex to fall into the chasm with him. The Kindred pulled his mouth away, his face returning to the beauty of his mortal mask, and with a yell, followed Mulder where he led. 

They laid for a long time, wrapped in the security of each other's arms, until Alex was sure Mulder was asleep _the sleep of the dead_ he smiled to himself. He rose from the sanctuary of their bed and began to dress. 

But even with all that had just happened, Mulder's slumber couldn't be restful, and he reached out for the body that should have been beside him. When he didn't find his vampire lover there, he woke with a start. "Alex?" looking around as he called out the name. 

"I'm here, love," he answered as he came to kneel beside the bed. 

"Where are you going? It's nearly sunrise," Mulder asked, his voice still hazy with sleep. 

"I have something I need to take care of. Go back to sleep... I'll see you tomorrow," he promised. _It's back to the shadows for me, sweet._ "Sleep, now, Mulder. Sleep well." He watched as Mulder closed his eyes and drifted off. He watched for a minute longer, burning the image into his mind and what was left of his heart with the hope that this one moment in time would be able to carry him through the cold nights to come. He kissed his lover's mouth, letting his tongue linger a bit on that bottom lip _dreams are made of this mouth_ before he moved down to the side of Mulder's neck 

"Tomorrow you won't remember this night, but I will carry it with me always. Tomorrow, you will wake and remember nothing of me. But somewhere deep in your heart—you will feel my love," he whispered into the ear of his chosen ward. He reached out his tongue to the two still slightly bleeding puncture marks on the side of Fox's neck, and gently he stroked at them till there was nothing left to show that he had been there. One last, fleeting kiss before he rose and walked to the door. 

Though it only made it harder to leave, he looked back. _I love you. I always will._ He opened the door. On the other side, he shut it softly behind him and headed out of the apartment, down the stairs, and to the street below. 

The brisk wind of the autumn night seemed colder now. He turned up his collar and walked away—disappearing into the heartless embrace of the night. 

the end 

* * *

Classification: XF/Kindred x-over; this is a WIP and the next chapter is already in the works; you will need to read the first three parts to understand what's going on here. Parts I, II, and III can be found at [http://www.squidge.org../niff/niff.htm](http://od-import.transformativeworks.org/terma/niff/niff.htm)   
Rating: NC-17 for slightly violent m/m interaction all wrapped up in a smut blanket   
Disclaimer: The characters you recognize belong to CC, 1013 Productions, and Fox. I have no claim to them and am making no money from this (damn). All other characters belong to the people from Dark City who created them and have been used with their permission Thanks guys! I hope I did you justice. The vampire characters in this story come from a live action role play game. If you have any interest in knowing more about the game go to <http://www.tiac.net/users/crucifix/index1.htm>   
Author's Notes: PLEASE READ THIS. It took a while to get here, but we have finally arrived at the smut. You can read this piece simply for the sex, but you will understand it a lot better if you've read the other chapters. If you don't think you can manage to get through my droning, just read the second half of the last chapter—you'll thank me.   
Titanic sized thanks to the most amazing beta readers. Sue, Shadowfox, and Sher... You have my undying gratitude for making this piece actually readable. I don't know I could have done this without you. Aries, consider this a belated birthday present!   
Feedback: [email removed]   
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